Director of Public Works Judith Mueller presented Charlottesville’s Water Conservation Study Report to City Council last night. The Council decided to continue with the study to pursue some of the report’s suggestions and to find better data about the city’s long-term water usage.
Mueller said the study, requested by the City Council and jointly prepared by staff and the Albemarle County Service Authority, “reviews current programs, such as rainwater harvesting, leak detection and sub-metering of multi-family residences.” It also examines the best practices of other cities across the United States concerning water conservation. The report suggests options available for incentives, new restrictions and alternatives that “may increase water use efficiency.”
Currently, Charlottesville provides 100 gallons of water per capita per day, which is the average use of water in United States cities, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The city, however, only uses about 64 gallons of water per capita per day — 40 percent below the national average.
Charlottesville resident Dede Smith expressed anxiety about the large discrepancy between the amount of water the city provides and the average residential use. He said he hopes Council will demand an analysis of these numbers from the City’s Department of Public Works and Department of Public Utilities.
It is possible, though, that the 40 percent gap between water usage and water supply exists because the 64 gallons of water per capita refers to “residential use only,” Mueller noted.
The different communities’ average water use will vary greatly because of occupancy, ages of citizens, conservation awareness, water fixtures and concern level for water conservation, she added.
To help conserve water, the city lately has worked to harvest rainwater by attaching rain barrels to the city warehouse, Mueller said. Water collected in these barrels is then used to supply water for street sweepers and asphalt rollers, therefore reducing the city’s water bill.
In addition to harvesting rainwater, Council member David Brown suggested that Charlottesville officials should consider gray water harvesting, the reuse of polluted water from waste water treatment plants. Although Director of Utilities Lauren Hildebrand said the Department of Health has come a long way in figuring out the safest way to employ gray water harvesting, the method is “still in its infancy.”
The city also is working on the expansion of a Rain Barrel educational program, in which the public works department will hold eight educational workshops this year in conjunction with the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, Mueller said.
Other suggestions that Mueller made for water conservation stemmed from examples set by other cities. For example, irrigation run-off restriction would prohibit water run-off from property into the street or city storm sewers. Restrictions also could be placed on the time of day that outdoor watering can be done, like not allowing irrigation from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. to prevent water loss from evaporation. It is not yet certain how these restrictions would be enforced, however.
A final option Mueller said the conservation study deemed helpful — but also “one of the most restrictive ideas” — are mandated retrofits, which increase water efficiency. The rule would require that all toilets and showers be retrofitted when a home is sold.
It also was suggested that water conservation could be linked with the city’s energy conservation effort. Norris agreed with this sentiment, adding, “If we’re already going to do energy conservation audits, why not spend an extra 30 minutes per residence to look at water usage too?”
The study has not yet uncovered “good hard data,” though, about how the suggested changes might specifically affect the amount of water saved, Mueller said. Council members therefore agreed to continue the water conservation study so that ongoing projects can be finished and so that planned projects can be set in motion.
Read More
From the Archives: Pride Month
By Clara Franklin | YesterdayThe Day of Silence Project, founded in 1996, encouraged students to remain silent for a day to protest the silence surrounding LGBTQ+ issues and to raise awareness about homophobia.
Students share their experiences with the subleasing process in Charlottesville
By Nina Broderick | 2 days agoA sublease agreement involves adding a new tenant to the lease, which provides the original tenant a way to cover costs while away, and the subtenant an opportunity for housing without the year-long commitment.
Hashmi and Jones win Democratic primaries for Lt. Gov and AG, before general election
By Nicolas Biernacki | 4 days agoFor the first time, Charlottesville implemented a ranked choice system of voting.
