Union County is currently in Stage 0 Water Shortage. In this stage, our customers (residential and commercial) are limited to a maximum of three irrigation days per week. However, we’re hoping that you can voluntarily take additional measures to help strengthen our water supply. Below are a few recommendations:
Our usable water supply is finite (we do not have an endless supply) which means that water conservation is not a job that is reserved solely for scientists — instead it is up to each and every one of us to save water. Some of the reasons we should work to conserve water include:
If customers are able to reduce their water needs, that results in a cost savings for future infrastructure by either reducing the size of facilities needed or delaying when they’re needed. This potential cost savings gets passed to all customers in the form of lower rates.
By reducing the amount of water we use and waste, we can better help against future drought years. Even though our need for fresh water sources is always increasing (because of population and industry growth), the supply we have stays constant. This is due to the fact that even though water eventually returns to Earth through the water cycle, it's not always returned to the same spot, or in the same quantity and quality.
Reducing our use of water reduces the energy required to process and deliver it to homes, business, farms and communities, which in turn helps to reduce pollution and conserve fuel resources.
Firefighters, hospitals, gas stations, street cleaners, health clubs, gyms, and restaurants all require large amounts of water to provide services to the community. Reducing our usage of water now means that these services can continue to be provided.
Water conservation requires forethought and effort, but every little bit helps, so don't think that what you do does not matter. We must all make changes in our lifestyles that will change the course of our water usage, conserve its quality and make conservation a way of life — not just something we think about once in a while.