ThisWeek CW 08/11/2011
Canal Winchester officials want residents to remember the city’s water conservation policy during the hot, dry summer months, even though a treatment plant that came online in 2007 has alleviated any immediate threats to water availability.
The city continues to enforce its policy during the summer to ensure water remains available in the event of an emergency.
“When we originally implemented the water conservation policy in 2006, it was before the water plant was expanded and we were at the limit of our capacity at the current plant,” Public Works director Matt Peoples said. “We need water in our towers for emergencies like a fire or water main break, so at that time, it was an absolute necessity to implement the policy to keep the city from running out of water.”
The policy limits lawn watering to a Tuesday-through-Sunday schedule of 6 p.m. to 10 a.m., with no watering allowed on Mondays. A provision also allows the city’s water superintendent to declare a water emergency due to a special condition, such as drought or water system failure where water use may be further restricted.
“When we’re having 95 degree-plus days in the middle of the day, it just doesn’t make sense to be out there watering the grass because the evaporation rate is so high,” Peoples said. “We don’t have an infinite supply of water. No one is drought-proof. A drought is always just a season away and that can kill a town; but our current groundwater supply should be sufficient for several years to come.”
Enforcement of the policy includes two warnings prior to having the water shut off, a $200 fee or, ultimately, a fourth-degree misdemeanor charge.
“We follow up on complaints about water use during the day and we try to put out reminders along with information about water conservation in city communications a few times a year,” Peoples said.
Since the conservation rules went into effect, Canal Winchester has not had to terminate water service for any resident for policy enforcement, he said.
“There are a lot of residents who keep very beautiful lawns and as a city, we appreciate that because it looks better for all of us,” Peoples said. “Fortunately, so far, those residents who are passionate about their landscape have also been very compliant as well.
“We aren’t having a problem with our supply (since expanding the water plant) so these days, this is really more of a smart-use issue,” he said.
A copy of the water conservation policy is available online at www.canalwinchesterohio.gov or at the Municipal Building at 36 S. High St.