ERMUSR MISC ISSUES 04-13-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Page 10 City of Monticello I :::-Ar From the Well 2003 was an eventful year for the Monticello Water Department. We pumped over 570 million gallons of water, the most water the City has ever pumped! This amount was up 27% from 2002. So where did all that water go? The following table breaks it down for us: I DESCRIPTION CONNECTIONS MILLION GALLONS GALLONS/DAY/ PUMPED CONNECTION(Average) RESIDENTIAL 3356 353.453 288 COMMERCIAL 215 64.091 816 INDUSTRIAL I 54.730 149,945 OTHERS* 50 43.355 2,375 UNACCOUNTED 55.213 TOTAL PUMPED 570.842 * Note: Others include parks and other City operated sprinkler systems. Unaccounted includes city water main flushing twice per year, filling and flushing all new water mains, road construction compaction, street sweeping, as well as water for the fire department. Furthermore, sewer cleaning is included in the Unaccounted column; the City cleans between 10 to 15 miles of sewer per year using a jet truck and up to 200 psi of pressure. In January of 2004, the City of Monticello added Well No. 5. This well pumps 1800 gallons per minutes. This well is a welcome addition to the City and will allow us to keep up with current demands. Irrigation and water conservation are issues that concern all of us. The aquifers which supply our water are monitored by the DNR for level and quality. If we work together, both water level and quality will remain high. The best time of day to water lawns and gardens is in the early morning. Less water is needed because more is being absorbed by the plant and soil, making less available for evaporation. Grass can also get burned by watering during afternoon hours. The sun reflects off the water droplets causing the droplets to act like magnifying glasses and burn the blades of grass. Some turf diseases are created by evening watering. Both molds and fungus grow well in turf that is damp for long periods of time and, therefore, thrive in lawns watered late in the day. A 4 a.m. start is best for most residential systems. If you have trouble setting your irrigation clock, call one of the local businesses that handle the equipment and most will help you over the phone. If the watering is done by hose, there are remote systems that can be installed ' on the faucet outside your home. The remote systems have timers built in that can be set to go off every other day and at the time you wish to water. This will allow you to sleep and not to have to get up early to water. The city water system is heavily used between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on week days. By watering early in the morning you will help Monticello's water tower efficiency. By: Matt Theisen. Water & Sewer Superintendent 1