Four Corner - Texas Water Development Board

• Identify other outdoor conservation practices such as covering pools and
spas to reduce evaporation.
8. Distribution System and/or Customer Service Pressure Control
Pressure reductions help save water by reducing the amount of water that can
flow through an opened valve or faucet in a given period of time. Water is also
saved by reducing excessive mechanical stress on plumbing fixtures and
appliances and on distribution systems. Faucet seats and washers last longer,
washing machine and dishwasher valves will break less frequently, pipe joints
will be less susceptible to failure, and leaks in the distribution system will
loose water more slowly at lower pressures.
The utility will evaluate if excessive pressure in parts of the distribution
system is a problem and, if it is, provide information on plans to reduce the
problem of excessive pressure. Recommended pressure in customer service
areas should not exceed 80 pounds per square inch.
9. Recycling and Reuse
Reuse utilizes treated effluent from the wastewater treatment facility can be to
replace a user that requires fresh water from a potable water supply. The area
currently has no potential customers for reuse however, recycle use might
reduce the amount of fresh water required by a future commercial operations.
10. Water Conservation Retrofit Program
The water district utility through an education and information programs
providing pertinent information regarding the purchase and installation of
plumbing fixtures, lawn watering equipment and appliances. This program
will inform users of the advantages of installing water saving devices.
An aggressive retrofit program can have a dramatic impact on water system
demands. Several alternatives are summarized in Tables 3. Market penetration
is based on the experience of other cities offering such programs.
The least-cost alternative is to provide packages to customers containing a
flow restrictor for a showerhead, a toilet bag and two dye tablets. Based on
past experience, the toilet bags are the most acceptable to customers and could
be expected to realize savings of 4.8 gallons per capita per day in participating
households. A more acceptable and more permanent option is to provide
customers with low-flow showerheads and toilet dams. A system used
extensively in the City of Austin was the installation of low-flow showerheads
and toilet dams at no charge to the customer. Through this program, the Austin
market penetration has exceeded 50%. Participating households experienced
resulting water savings of around 15%. Another option is to provide rebates of
$100 to customers who replace their toilets with those that flush 1. 5 gallons.
Four Corners Area Water and Wastewater Facilities Planning Study
Page 8-6
FINAL REPORT