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Water Utility Conservation Plan Presentation by Water Utility Staff
Gawenda noted that the Water Utility Conservation Plan is still a draft plan. That a committee was set-up to work on this and that they worked for about one year. She introduced other staff including Robin Piper, Ken Keys and Larry Nelson from the Water Utility and that they would help to answer questions.
Gawenda began Power Point Presentation
Right now Madison residents use 73 gallons of water/capita/day. As the city grows, the city needs to sustain our water resource over time.
Goal of the plan is to reduce residential consumption by 20% by 2020. The city grows at a rate of over 1.2% per year, so this goal will be tough.
Vickermann and Keys discussed what exactly does this mean and Keys noted that a 20% reduction would be lowering residential use to 58 gallons of water/capita/day.
There was more discussion between Vickermann, Host-Jablonski and Keys regarding whether this is a goal or objective.
Nelson and Host-Jablonski discussed that as the Water Utility pumps water, the aquifer lowers about 50 feet. If all the pumps were turned off, the aquifer would go up. Nelson indicated that currently the City’s water use is sustainable.
Host-Jablonski suggested that the goal would help keep us sustainable.
Gawenda then discussed the idea of a toilet rebate program where the Water Utility would provide a rebate to residential customers who install a toilet that meets new plumbing codes (this program would be for existing homes). So toilets would go from using 1.6 gallons to 1.2 or .8 gallons/flush. This could potentially
save 10.3 gal/day per person and account for two thirds of the 20% per capita goal.
Keys indicated that a rate case was before the PSC on this program.
Nelson indicated that the rebate would be around $100 per dwelling unit or ~1/3 of cost.
Gruder wanted to confirm that this would take into account the new plumbing code. (Which it will.)
Muench indicated that the...
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