I was stopped by a constituent on my evening walk, and she suggested that the City put out a reminder about voluntary rationing. Thank you for the great idea.
The Norman Transcript

July 19, 2012
City encouraging water conservation

Transcript Staff
The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — The Norman Utilities Department is asking residents to please conserve water as much as possible including implementing voluntary even/odd watering.

Norman’s water department has been pumping more than 20 million gallons per day for more than 21 days so far this summer as compared to normal wintertime usage of about 10 mgd.

So far this summer, Norman has not had to purchase emergency water from Oklahoma City. However, with the continued increase in demand, and the strain on facilities, purchasing water from may be inevitable, according to city reports.

The rate for Oklahoma City emergency water has increased over 8 percent in the last two years making it $4.84 per 1,000 gallons, double the norman cost.

Norman’s regular commercial water rate is $2.10 per 1,000 gallons.

Water conserving steps to consider:

· Voluntary odd/even water rotation — if your street address ends in an odd number, only water on odd numbered calendar days. If your address ends in an even number, only water on even calendar days. This significantly reduces peak demand on the water system and encourages deep root growth for plants and lawn.

· Adjust sprinklers to make sure you are not watering the sidewalk, driveway or other areas that do not need watering.

· Do not water between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. — this is the hottest part of the day when up to 40 percent of the water can be lost to evaporation.

· Use mulch. A thick layer of mulch around your plants helps keep the ground insulated from the sun and retains moisture better.

· Some experts estimate that 50 percent of water is lost due to evaporation and run-off. Irrigation professionals can install, audit or upgrade your system to save up to 9,000 gallons each year. Technology also is available to ensure that sprinkler systems are on their best behavior and allows systems to water according to weather and shut off in the rain.

· Not interested in an irrigation system? Purchase an inexpensive hose timer to avoid over-watering. Soaker hoses are also a great option for avoiding evaporation due to wind.

· Wash only full loads of dishes or clothes.

· Refrain from washing down any sidewalk, walkway, driveway, parking lot or any other hard-surfaced area.

· If you use a low-flow showerhead, you can save 15 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower.

· Every time you shave minutes off your use of hot water, you also save energy and keep dollars in your pocket.

· Nearly 22 percent of indoor home water use comes from doing laundry. Save water by making sure to adjust the settings on your machine to the proper load size.

Water conservation — using water efficiently and avoiding waste — is fundamental to ensuring water availability in the future. In order to protect our water supply, everyone can practice conservation. In our businesses, schools, and homes, using water more efficiently will lessen the effects of limited water supply.