“Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.” Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, written in 1797-1798 by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Those who have had to endure a water shortage could no doubt relate to the lines about the scarcity of this precious resource. Though they may not have been completely without water to drink, it has been a trying time, nonetheless. As of August of 2022, more than 40% of the United States and nearly half of the lower 48 were in drought conditions. Sadly, thanks to climate change, this, along with the requisite water restrictions, may become the new normal. Most recently, Junction City has experienced what is being termed “a mild water emergency.” This has been attributed to a combination of heavy water use and an extended loss of power to a well on July 1st and 2nd. It is the hope of officials that by cutting back on water use, reserves can be built back up and the tanks can be filled so water will be available in the event of a fire, with the goal being a 10% reduction in water usage in agreement with Ordinance 1231 and the city’s Water Curtailment Plan. As it is now, fighting a fire will not be easy. This has created much discussion online due to recent housing growth. Over 200 new homes have gone in or are going in west of the city. People are wondering what this will mean for water usage as many feel that adding these homes is irresponsible given the shortage being experienced now. Garry Capping, who works for the city says officials are working on “a couple of things” to be sure that enough water is available once the new housing is complete. It is the city’s hope that these solutions will help the city and those who live and work within it to avoid this sort of thing in the future. Two test wells, Capping says, have been dug, with the paperwork for a million-dollar grant having been recently submitted. Once this grant has been awarded and the money is available, the city will either develop one of the test wells and repair the current well that is not functioning or develop both test wells. Currently, residents and business owners alike have been asked to curtail water use by 30%. Only 750,000 gallons of water a day should be being used, but residents and business owners were in actuality using closer to 1.5 million gallons. The first cutback was voluntary and did go okay, but water usage has started to creep back up again, making the 30% reduction necessary. Capping says that now is not the time for residents and/or business owners to put in a new yard. If they choose to do so, he cautions, it is at their own risk and the yard probably won’t survive. With the water curtailment order there will be enforcement. If Capping learns of someone using more water than allotted, he will first investigate and issue a warning. If the warning is unheeded and he must return, he will then levy a fine of $300 followed by subsequent fines of $300 for each additional infraction. He suspects that after the first citation and fine, people will comply, since nobody wants to keep paying these amounts. He also says he does not enjoy having to do these things, but it is a part of his job and people need to know that the rules apply to them like everybody else. So, how does one go about cutting back on water usage? Gardens need to be watered, laundry needs to be washed, toilets need to be flushed, and we need to brush our teeth, wash our dishes and cook our meals. There are several ways this can be accomplished. It may not be easy, given that updating appliances can be costly and establishing new habits is time consuming. But it can be done, and curtailing water usage is as helpful to your checkbook as it is to the ecosystem. Here are some ways. The bathroom has the greatest water usage than any other place in the home, accounting for over 50% of all indoor water use. Plumbing technology advances have resulted in newer faucets, showers, and toilets that use considerably less water but still deliver on rinsing, spraying, and flushing. Should you wish to replace a bathroom fixture, be sure to look for one that bears the WaterSense label, which means it meets the EPA’s standards for saving water. Older toilets use up to 6 gallons per flush, whereas WaterSense toilets get things done with only 1.28 gallons or less. This translates to a reduction of 20% per toilet for the average family. One can also take showers of shorter duration to save water, limiting them to no more than 5 minutes. It’s also helpful to turn the water off while lathering or shampooing and one should also be sure to turn the water off while brushing their teeth or shaving, rather than allowing it to run down the sink. Replacing the shower head is another way to save. Standard shower heads use two and a half gallons of water every minute whereas WaterSense shower heads use no greater than two gallons. While it may seem insignificant, the savings do add up. WaterSense faucets aerators can also lead to a savings of 500 gallons annually for the average family. Definitely do NOT flush tissues, moist wipes or dental floss down the toilet as this results in water waste and can cause pipes to clog. In the kitchen, the water wasting culprit is not the dishwasher as you may believe. It is more than likely you. It’s not necessary to pre-rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, which is designed to do just that. A kitchen faucet can produce between one and three gallons of water every minute when it is allowed to run full force. One should also only wash full loads of dishes, loaded according to the instructions in the owner’s manual, as this will make the most out of the sprays in the machine. Should you want to replace your old dishwasher, Energy Star dishwashers are approximately 15% more efficient than standard models and are also quieter. Pots and pans should be soaked rather than scrubbed under running water. Rather than run the tap until your drinking water is cool, refrigerate it instead. One glass or water bottle per person for the day should be assigned for the day so it only needs to be washed one time. You can also save on water usage in the kitchen by installing a WaterSense aerator on the faucet to reduce the flow to less than a gallon a minute. It’s helpful, as well, to avoid running the garbage disposal and the necessary water by composting food scraps instead. When it comes to the laundry room, front loading washing machines are the most water efficient, followed by high-efficiency (HE) top-loaders and agitator top-loaders. Because high-efficiency washers spin faster, clothes do not require as much drying time. It is important to pick the proper water setting for the load you are washing, though front-loading machines and the majority of HE top loading machines are equipped with auto-load sensing. A few agitator tops have this as well. HE detergents are required for HE machines as regular detergents create too many suds and can result in HE washers using more water by lengthening the rinse cycle. Only wash full loads and use cold water whenever possible to help save on the cost of energy. Also be sure to choose the right soil setting as selecting the heavy-duty setting can use more water and add to wash time. The normal setting works for the majority of loads. Outdoors, the lawn soaks up more water than anything else and homeowners tend to over water in order to keep it green. In truth, an established lawn only requires an inch of water every week during the growing season, so over watering can actually be harmful to it, not to mention the environment and your bank account. It’s helpful to let the grass grow a bit longer by raising the cutting height on your lawnmower. Blades of grass that are longer help shade each other, which reduces evaporation, so it is actually good to keep your grass between three and four and a half inches tall. When you mow, it is advisable to leave the grass clippings on the lawn to retain moisture and add nitrogen. If you use a sprinkler to water, be sure to direct the spray to the grass and garden and not the sidewalk and the street. You may want to set a timer so as not to forget the sprinkler is on. Water early in the day when evaporation rates are lowest and more water is absorbed. If you use a soaker hose or drip irrigation, apply water slowly and evenly. You might even want to reduce the size of your lawn and replace the grass with mulch, ground cover, plants that tolerate drought, or ornamental grasses. Be sure to weed regularly as weeds compete with plants for water. Unless they use recycled water, ditch any water features and consult a nursery or your county cooperative to find the best plants for your area. When you clean off your driveway, steps, or deck, do not use water. Rather, sweep them or use, if you must, a leaf blower. Wash your car using a bucket or, patronize a commercial car wash that recycles it’s water. When it rains, collect the water in barrels or install gutters and downspouts that direct the runoff to your plants and trees. Water in a barrel can also be used for other things, such as flushing toilets when one has a pump and a well and the electricity has gone off for an extended period. Water covers approximately 71% of the earth and in places like the United States we tend to take it for granted until a shortage hits and we realize just how much we depend on it for so much. But, if we take care to use common sense and follow a few guidelines, we can all do our part to conserve and make sure there is enough water for us all as well as for those needs such as extinguishing a fire and growing the crops we also depend on. Even if we all do just one or two of the above suggestions, it helps, and the ecosystem will be forever grateful. For those in Junction City who may have questions or concerns about the water cutbacks, please call public works at 541-998-3125 or City Hall at 541-998-2153.
5 Comments
John
7/21/2023 04:12:34 pm
As a local not living within JC city limits it's hard to watch these shenanigans going on with the city. It's obvious to anybody the building of these new homes were a mistake as it over taxes an old water system that is still have many issues. Many residents have been suffering for years with nasty water that isn't even fit for cooking or drinking. A look at the JC community page on FB will show many pics of nasty orange stinky water from the old sections of pipe within the city. These residents use expensive bottled water or filtering depending on the severity of the problem. If these had been addressed there would be a little more sympathy of he new housing developments which the city eyes as more tax revenue.
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Ginger
7/21/2023 06:35:31 pm
The JC City Council & Planning adepts should have a Master Plan developed in the best interest of the community. A needs assessment should have been completed before the developers were welcomed with open arms by the City….the water issue is just one of many significant issues within the Junction City Community…infrastructure: schools, police & fire, city services, traffic, water & sewer….increase lot sizes and limit housing at this magnitude!
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Steve
7/21/2023 07:44:05 pm
Respectfully I walked
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Kate
7/24/2023 03:06:15 pm
Junction City should have had a plan in place and started prior to this new construction. The lack of planning and testing is part of why we are in this situation. Someone on the planning committee also shared with me that JC does NOT employ a certified operator for the water system. If they had a certified operator these problems could also be avoided as problems would be spotted ahead of a breakdown. No operator also equals crappy water quality. It is the cities job to provide the water at a decent quality and quantity. The cost goes up for water and those two things go down and I for one am sick of it. My dogs don't even like the water nor do I like to serve it to them. We as a city population deserve much better than this. Allow private backyard wells for watering and maybe we would have more water.
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