AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) – Amid persistent drought conditions in the region, Augusta Water is calling for its customers throughout Augusta County to begin following voluntary water conservation measures.
Augusta Water is a public water provider that serves about 16,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers, according to a release. While Augusta Water’s sources continue to meet demand, the provider is asking customers to voluntarily reduce their water usage to preserve water resources.
Augusta Water shared the following measures for residential customers to consider:
Conduct a home water audit to identify leaks, repair leaking faucets, and replace leaking fixtures.Consider upgrading high water-use plumbing fixtures to low-flow alternatives.Limit lawn watering to no more than two times per week between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.Reduce watering of vegetable gardens and water only between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.Avoid sprinkler use whenever possible. Instead, use soaker hoses or drip irrigation.Delay planting new landscaping or grass.Wash vehicles using a bucket or utilize a commercial car wash.Utilize water harvesting strategies, such as collecting rainwater for watering plants.Reuse water whenever possible, where permitted by law, such as using dishwater or rinse water to water indoor plants.
Augusta Water also shared specific measures for commercial customers:
Conduct a self-audit of commercial water usage.Discontinue the use of decorative fountains at commercial sites.Implement water conservation plans.Restrict washing sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, and other paved surfaces except when necessary to meet health and safety requirements.
Phil Martin, executive director of Augusta Water, said taking voluntary conservation measures now can help prevent issues in the future if drought conditions continue.
“Even if you aren’t an Augusta Water customer and receive your water from a private well or spring, it’s wise to reduce water usage wherever possible to help ensure your water supply remains reliable throughout these ongoing drought conditions,” Martin said in a release.
Weedon Cloe, manager of office of water supply for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, said they are closely monitoring drought conditions across the commonwealth as some private wells continue to run dry.
“We understand that, this is a natural incident and it requires oversight,” Cloe said. “We just ask folks to be as water wise as they can and hopefully we can get through it without too much too much issue going forward.”
Cloe said the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force said it will meet Tuesday to discuss advisory statuses.
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