For Now, Water, Water Everywhere

Spring Rains End Worries of Drought, but Officials Still Urge Conservation

With concerns about a summer drought all but washed away with heavy rains this month and last, Northern Virginia officials say there is little chance of homeowners' facing water restrictions this year. But water officials urge those who plan to regularly irrigate their yards and gardens to be conservative with their water use to save money and to practice good habits for the future.

Although the Potomac basin is considered drier than normal overall, the regional water supply is above average, reservoirs are full and the Potomac River is roaring, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. That should mean an ample supply even as temperatures rise and rains abate in summer.

"The recent rains we have had helped diminish a deficit in rainfall," said Samantha Villegas, manager of communications for Loudoun Water. "This year, I feel like we're in good shape from a wet spring entering into the summer. But we feel like being conservative is the right thing to do, no matter what the weather. It just makes good sense all around."

Villegas said Loudoun County promotes a two-day-a-week watering schedule, with people whose homes have odd-numbered addresses urged to water Wednesdays and Saturdays and those at even-numbered addresses watering Thursdays and Sundays. Staggering prevents undue stress on the water system, a problem that developed in 2007, when water use in dry months set records almost weekly. That year, Loudoun imposed restrictions late in the summer.

"You hate to go to restrictions, so getting proactive in setting a schedule and getting people to be smarter in irrigation is important," Villegas said. "People are watching their use of power and their purchase of material possessions, and we want them to do the same thing with water."

Water officials said the average residential lawn needs about one inch of water per week, and many lawn problems occur because people overwater the grass. Officials urge people to try using rain gauges to see how much water their lawns are getting.

Some people who use automated sprinkler systems water when it's raining because they tend to set the timers and then forget about them.

"We have a lot of newer homes in Prince William County, and a lot of them have irrigation systems installed in the property when a person buys the home," said Keenan Howell, a spokesman for the Prince William County Service Authority. "We are hoping our customers will check those electronic devices and set it to a schedule to prevent from watering when it's not necessary."

Prince William has a schedule similar to Loudoun's, with even-numbered addresses watering Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and odd-numbered addresses watering Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Howell said that if homeowners water lawns during peak weekday morning hours, when people are showering as they prepare for work, water pressure can be affected.

Officials also said watering should be avoided in hot weather from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the water will evaporate faster than the grass can absorb it. They also recommend monitoring sprinklers to ensure they don't end up spraying sidewalks, where the water goes to waste.

Jeanne Bailey, a spokeswoman for Fairfax Water, said the region apparently won't need to impose restrictions this summer in part because of the recent rains, but she said regional authorities are closely monitoring the flow of the Potomac River, which supplies most of the region's drinking water.

"We are asking people to be reasonable and water smartly," she said.

Water use is also tied to broader environmental issues.

"It's just a good conservation principle not to waste a resource, but people are also looking at water conservation in terms of climate change," said Bill Skrabak, director of the Alexandria Office of Environmental Quality. "There is quite a bit of energy that is used to treat it for drinking water purposes and wastewater purposes."

Skrabak said most conservation tips amount to "pretty common-sense stuff," including not leaving household faucets running longer than necessary, using cold water to do laundry and not overwatering gardens. He also suggested collecting rainwater and gutter runoff in rain barrels and using that to water gardens.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments recommends that residents seeking watering tips visit its "Wise Water Use" Web site, at http://www.mwcog.org/environment/water/watersupply/wisewater.asp. A national Web site with additional tips can be found at http://www.wateruseitwisely.com.