City receives grant for next phase of water reuse project

The city has received a $320,000 capital outlay grant for the next phase of the effluent water project, which will expand the use of reuse water to Hillcrest Park and other city assets, according to City Engineer Justin Howalt.

Howalt reported the progress of the city’s effluent reuse project to the Water Policy Advisory Committee Tuesday. The project allows the city to conserve drinking water by treating wastewater for irrigation and construction purposes.

Howalt said last month the city used 750,000 gallons of effluent water — 535,000 gallons at the landfill, 149,000 gallons at Ryerson Park, and 66,000 gallons for street sweepers.

“We are making progress in using it,” Howalt said.

Howalt said the next phase of the project is still awaiting contract approval from the state. It will expand effluent water use to Hillcrest, Yucca Middle School and sports fields in the area.

Howalt and County Commissioner Wendell Bostwick discussed plans to set up a meter and rate to charge the county to use the effluent water for road work and other county programs.

“We will be setting up meetings with commissioners,” Howalt said. “We have a couple of different options with the rates.”

Howalt also reported Cannon Air Force Base decreased its water usage by 17 percent from 2013 to 2014. He said the assumption is that the base saved water due to a reuse program at the golf course and by xeriscaping around the base, but he said he didn’t have exact details.

Brian Daly, district manager for EPCOR, said the company is currently running at 40 percent of capacity, but expects to see the numbers up to 50 or 60 percent in April. Daly reported that water usage was down in 2014 at 8.3 million gallons pumped on a peak day compared to 2013 at 9.3 million gallons. He said the reduction could be attributed to reuse and conservation as well as cooler temperatures and precipitation.

The committee also discussed plans for the upcoming Water Conservation Month in April. The committee plans to distribute water conservation posters, to release public service announcements and to have a booth at city hall that would provide educational material from the city and EPCOR. The committee also discussed table tents at restaurants to encourage diners to request water. It would reduce the waste associated with making ice, washing cups and providing large glasses of water to those who are drinking something else.

They also discussed the benefits of educating water users for year round conservation rather than just one month.

“And that’s the whole idea of water conservation,” said Chairman Commissioner Chris Bryant. “To try and educate people to understand not only how important water is — but it’s something we need to continue throughout the year, not just one month out of the year.”