Water Conservation Programs for Systems By Gilbert Ybarbo, Financial, Managerial, and Technical Assistance Specialist, Texas Rural Water Association
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onservation is a subject that will come up at least once a year in any public water supply system, especially during the hot summer months. In Texas, we often hear about counties in severe drought and in desperate need of water. One scenario is that the water system may have pumped their wells out beyond capacity of the underground water source to be able to recharge itself back to static level after drawdown. In other circumstances, water sources such as lakes, water impoundments with river water rights, and/or contracted water allocations become strained due to the severe droughts, thus calling for reduced water source availability affecting the water supply to systems. Water is a precious resource — it provides tourism, recreation, habitat for endangered species, and drinking water to an ever-increasing population. It provides a means of good agriculture to our local farmers and treated and or reusable water for our industrial users for manufacturing and production of goods and supplies. With commercial, residential, agricultural, and industrial users all using the available potable and non-potable water sources in the area, it is our duty and obligation to become good water stewards. On the water utility side, that includes public outreach to our customers to educate them on ways they can help ensure this precious resource will be available in the future for generations to come. All systems should promote the importance that each of us strive to use water as efficiently as possible and become water wise providers and consumers. In other words, we must make water conservation and being water wise second nature. We should be able to practice it without having to think about it — just like buttoning your shirt or putting on your shoes in the morning. Some public water systems, such as municipalities, water supply corporations, districts, and others, offer a variety of water conservation programs to their communities to help accomplish 20
Quench — 2021 - Issue 2
these goals. Some programs include incentives, such as rebates, coupons, irrigation system checkups, indoor water surveys, irrigation system upgrade rebates, grass removal rebates, rainwater harvesting rebates, and soil saver rebates. Some systems even have public awareness and school education opportunities, including awards and recognition for our water-wise children. Along with this, water systems should have a good customer service policy, tariff, or ordinance in place to help ensure the water is being used as it should be and not wasted. We have a duty for public education, information and awareness to our customers. Here are a few examples of water conservation programs you can implement at your system: Irrigation System Check-ups: For water wise irrigation systems, some municipalities and other large water supply systems offer check-ups for both residential and commercial water customers. In this case, the system sends trained personnel to evaluate the irrigation system to make sure it is operating as efficiently as possible. They also evaluate homes and businesses to identify leaks and water pressure abnormalities, and also check and adjust irrigation timer settings and sprinkler heads. Some systems may provide a report on their findings or a checklist for the customer to consider needed maintenance work. Irrigation System Upgrade Rebates: Landscape irrigation can account for much of the water used in a typical home. Water systems can offer rebates for upgrades that improve the efficiency of their irrigation system and reduce water use, such as having a professional irrigation system check-up, adding pressure control where needed, installing multistream low volume heads, converting spray zones to drip irrigation, and removing some irrigation zones that are ineffective or where landscaping is being reformed into xeriscape by reducing or eliminating the need for irrigation.
