Water officials kick off conservation efforts

The district is calling on households to begin conserving 190 gallons of water a day, or 5,700 gallons a month.

Spokesman David Riggleman said that is not as much as people might think.

For starters, officials want residents to abide by the restriction that prohibits watering lawns between noon and 7 p.m. through the summer months.

Riggleman said the average household uses about 34,000 gallons of water a month, or 1,100 gallons a day.

The authority estimates a household with a swimming pool could save as much as 100 gallons a day by using a pool cover to prevent evaporation. And it could save 120 gallons a day by watering lawns for two minutes less.

The water authority's conservation goal for 1998 is 14.8 percent, up from 13 percent last year. It's part of a long-range goal to conserve 25 percent of the water suppy by the year 2010.

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