(a)
The city water department served approximately 4000 residents in
1999 and is expecting no major increase in population over the next
5 years. The water department served approximately 1600 connections
in 1999. The service area is currently served by a 1.5 million gallons
per day city-owned well system. The water department also has an emergency
water connection with the City of Fort Worth in case of an emergency.
However, it is the responsibility of the water department to examine
and control our main source of supply so as to avoid any necessity
to obtain water from an emergency source. Therefore, it is necessary
to examine water use practices and educate the public about ways in
which to reduce overall water use. It is also necessary to set goals
and outline methodologies in which to achieve these goals.
(b)
This water conservation plan identifies water conservation goals
and identifies and explains conservation practices that will help
protect long-term water supplies for the city and its customers. This
plan includes information required by the state commission on environmental
quality (TCEQ) for water conservation plans as well as information
specific to the city water supply and treatment system.
(Ordinance 370, att. B, sec. I,
adopted 2/15/01)
The city conservation plan recognizes that the city is under
a contract with the City of Fort Worth for an emergency connection,
and that in case of any emergency that arises in the Fort Worth water
system will cause the same rationing and conservation methods as stated
in that contract to be placed upon the residents of Sansom Park.
(Ordinance 370, att. B, sec. 2,
adopted 2/15/01)
(a)
The average purchased water supply for the year 1999 was 145 million
gallons and the amount of water sold was 144 million gallons, which
means that the city had approximately 1 million gallons or 1 percent
of unaccounted water loss for that year. The water department serviced
1,469 connections for that period for an average consumption of 99,214
gallons per connection per year or 8,268 gallons per connection per
month. Since the city has begun a water line replacement program and
a meter change-out program, the unaccounted water loss has greatly
improved over the last 10 years. Also, the city has begun enforcing
the International Plumbing Code, which requires water-saving fixtures.
Future goals will center around public awareness on the conservative
use of water. Emphasis will be placed on the control of outside watering,
especially during the hotter months. More conservation steps will
be directed toward the conservation of water usage because during
drought times the level of water in the lake drops dramatically and
will eventually lead to more stringent control in order to maintain
enough water to meet the water system’s demand. Public awareness
will include information contained on the web page, brochures, and
periodic presentations by staff representatives at local meeting places
within the city.
(Ordinance 370, att. B, sec. 3,
adopted 2/15/01)
(a)
The city water conservation plan includes the following water conservation
methods:
(1)
Public information and education.
(2)
Plumbing code.
(3)
Meter testing and upgrades.
(4)
Old and deteriorated water line replacement.
(5)
Leak detection and repair.
(6)
Water conserving landscaping.
(7)
Water use auditing.
(8)
Certificate of occupancy inspections.
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Each method is presented and described in the following subsections.
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(b)
Public information and education.
The most important
part of the city’s conservation program is public education.
The city staff will present information upon request to the public.
(1)
Presentations at community meetings.
The staff will
present conservation updates in order to educate the public.
(2)
Cable access notifications.
The water department uses
the public access channel (channel 3) when possible to notify the
public of any special meeting or event in the area of water conservation.
(3)
School programs.
The city staff will make presentations
on water conservation to the schools upon request.
(c)
Plumbing code.
The city will adopt the 1997 International
Plumbing Code.
(d)
Meter testing and upgrades.
The meters at the plant
are calibrated now semi-annually and the city will continue to replace
any dead meters in the system.
(e)
Water line replacement program.
The city has implemented
a program of replacing old and deteriorated water mains and the program
will continue until all the old mains have been replaced.
(f)
Leak detection and repair.
All water main leaks are
monitored closely and repaired as soon as possible. The city representatives
will notify the residents of any possible leak that they have on their
side through the use of leak detection systems installed on most meters
upon request.
(g)
Water-conserving landscaping.
The water department encourages
the planting of water efficient ideas [species]. The city staff will
be happy to assist any resident with questions on this type of program.
If necessary the staff will direct the resident to a local nursery
where they can find more information.
(h)
Water use auditing.
The utility billing manager will
monitor the bills on a monthly basis and report any abnormalities
to the distribution department for further investigation. The city
annually compares water purchased against water sold and reports this
information to the state water development board.
(i)
Certificate of occupancy inspections.
All vacant housing
must make application and obtain a certificate of occupancy certificate
prior to occupying the house. During this inspection it will be required
that any plumbing fixtures will have to comply with the state code
for the installation of water-saving fixtures.
(j)
Landscape watering schedule.
Though not required on
a daily basis, a 5-day watering schedule will be available upon request
at the city hall. It is recommended that residents abstain from watering
during peak water demand times and to control the length of watering
to no more than 30 minutes or to the point of runoff in any one area.
For example: Place a small sized tuna can in the area that is being
watered; when the can fills up with water, the area is adequately
watered.
(Ordinance 370, att. B, sec. 4,
adopted 2/15/01)
This plan will be presented to the Region C Water planning group
and also the Tarrant Water District No. 1 as the supplier.
(Ordinance 370, att. B, sec. 5,
adopted 2/15/01)
Tarrant Regional Water District No. 1 as the city’s raw
water supplier is responsible for operations of the reservoir system
as described in the summary section of this plan. Tarrant Regional
Water District coordinates this operation plan with all of its water
customers and provides recommendations for the operation of regional
water systems as well.
(Ordinance 370, att. B, sec. 6,
adopted 2/15/01)
