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Water Conservation You can play a role in conserving water and saving Where Does My Water Come From? yourself money in the process by becoming conscious lk River Municipal Utilities wells are supplied from oil)%. of the amount of water your household is using and by Ethe Mt. Simon-Hinckley Aquifer. The entire /i looking for ways to use less whenever you can. It is not :.y water system is constituted of eight wells, - hard to conserve water. Here are a few tips: four water towers, 110 miles of water main, it • Automatic dishwashers use 15 gallons for every and more than 1,200 fire hydrants. In 2015, 1y;;: cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded. So Elk River Municipal Utilities delivered more ;.; ' get a run for your money and load it to capacity. than 756 million gallons of water to our ' ' '9+{" • Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. customers. 1 • Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day.Fix it and you can save almost 6,000 gallons per year. What's a Cross-connection? • Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of Cross-connections that contaminate drinking water food coloring in the tank. Watch for a few minutes distribution lines are a major concern. A cross- to see if the color shows up in the bowl. It is not connection is formed at any point where a drinking uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from an water line connects to equipment (boilers), systems invisible toilet leak. Fix it and you save more than containing chemicals (air conditioning systems, fire 30,000 gallons a year. sprinkler systems,irrigation systems)or water sources of questionable quality. Cross-connection contamination • Use your water meter to detect hidden leaks. Simply can occur when the pressure in the equipment or turn off all taps and water using appliances. Then system is greater than the pressure inside the drinking check the meter after 15 minutes. If it moved, you water line (backpressure). Contamination can also have a leak. occur when the pressure in the drinking water line drops due to fairly routine occurrences (main breaks, heavy water demand) causing contaminants to be sucked out from the equipment and into the drinking Water Main Flushing water line (backsiphonage). Distribution mains (pipes) convey water to homes, Outside water taps and garden hoses tend to be the most businesses,and hydrants in your neighborhood.The water common sources of cross-connection contamination entering distribution mains is of very high quality; however, at home. The garden hose creates a hazard when water quality can deteriorate in areas of the distribution mains submerged in a swimming pool or when attached to over time. Water main flushing is the process of cleaning the a chemical sprayer for weed killing. Garden hoses that interior of water distribution mains by sending a rapid flow of are left lying on the ground may be contaminated by water through the mains. fertilizers, cesspools or garden chemicals. Improperly Flushing maintains water quality in several ways.For example, installed valves in your toilet could also be a source of flushing removes sediments like iron and manganese. cross-connection contamination. Although iron and manganese do not pose health concerns, Community water supplies are continuously they can affect the taste, clarity, and color of the water. jeopardized by cross-connections unless appropriate Additionally, sediments can shield microorganisms from the valves, known as backflow prevention devices, are disinfecting power of chlorine, contributing to the growth installed and maintained.We have surveyed industrial, of microorganisms within distribution mains. Flushing helps commercial, and institutional facilities in the service remove stale water and ensures the presence of fresh water area to make sure that potential cross-connections are with sufficient dissolved oxygen, disinfectant levels, and an identified and eliminated or protected by a backflow acceptable taste and smell. preventer.We also inspect and test backflow preventers During flushing operations in your neighborhood,some short- to make sure that they provide maximum protection. term deterioration of water quality, though uncommon, is For more information on backflow prevention,contact possible.You should avoid tap water for household uses at that the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791. time. If you do use the tap, allow your cold water to run for a few minutes k at full velocity before use and avoid 1P using hot water, to prevent sediment accumulation in your hot water tank. '.--, Please contact us if you have any QUESTIONS? questions or if you would like more information on our water main flushing For more information about this report, or for any schedule. questions relating to your drinking water,please call Elk River Municipal Utilities at (763) 441-2020. 55