Kala Point and Bywater Bay Water Usage Reductions Requested

Water systems serving customers in Kala Point and Bywater Bay are currently operating at maximum capacity to keep up with customer demand. PUD General Manager Larry Dunbar is requesting customers in those communities enact immediate water saving measures to reduce the burden on system infrastructure and water supply.

To conserve water and reduce demand, the PUD requests that customers refrain from the following activities during the next two to three months of warm dry weather:

• Excessive lawn watering or sprinkling, especially between 9am and 6pm
• Hosing down sidewalks, driveways, patios, etc.
• Home washing of cars, boats, or trailers (please use a commercial wash facility if necessary

The PUD also requests that customers water on alternating days. Homes with addresses ending in an even number should water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Homes with addresses ending in odd numbers should water on Wednesday, Fridays, and Sundays.

According to PUD Resource Manager Bill Graham, home lawn and garden watering accounts for the bulk of summer water usage increases. He notes that lawns typically only need an inch of water applied per week to stay healthy, though homeowners often apply much more. The PUD is supplying free outdoor water saving kits at its 310 Four Corners Rd Customer Service counters for all PUD water customers. The kits include hose and spigot repair supplies (to stop leaks and fix holes), an adjustable spray nozzle, and watering gauges to monitor the amount of water applied.

According to Dunbar, if customers are not able to reduce water consumption in both the Kala Point and Bywater Bay systems, and temperatures continue to remain high or increase, as they have during the last month, PUD staff may ask the Board of Commissioners to institute mandatory water use restrictions.

“Our wells are pumping 24/7 to keep up, and the aquifers that feed these communities are beginning drawing down,” said Dunbar. “We don’t need Kala Point or Bywater Bay customers to stop daily showering or let their lawns turn brown, but we do need them to reduce their water consumption ASAP in order to avoid having to instate the kinds of measures that occur in very severe water shortages.”

Even though other PUD water systems are not feeling the same stress, Graham recommends all Jefferson County residents try to some enact water saving habits during the summer months. “Being smart about outdoor water consumption just makes sense. Overwatering is a problem everywhere, and aside from the unnecessary waste of resources, it leads to higher bills. Which no one likes. It’s not hard to save water, people just have to learn a few simple tricks and be encouraged to do it.”

Learn more about PUD water conservation by going to jeffpud.org/conservation-tips.