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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Water Restriction What?


Okay, so…did you know there are watering restrictions?

I’ve always been a little hazy on what that means, how serious the repercussions are for not following them, etc etc.  I’m from southwest Georgia, and we’ve been in a drought pretty much my entire life: there have always been watering restrictions to follow…but I was never sure what they were. 

I’d assume my family followed them--our grass is usually browner than our neighbors’--but who knows.
Like I’ve said before, I have learned a lot about water conservation…and how important it is…this summer.  So, now, if someone were to ask me: ‘are there watering restrictions?’ I’d tell them, ‘Ah, yes, most definitely, and you should be following them so we don’t run out of water.’

They’re pretty easy to find, if you know where to look.  I didn’t, so I asked my bosses, and they directed me to thinkatthesink.com, which has a link called “outdoor water use schedule” that I’ve included here.  This schedule explains when and how it’s legal to water your lawn, or use water to wash cars, etc. 
The most interesting thing I found is that for the most part, the things we use water for are only allowed on Sunday or Saturday (if you’re an even address).  Even then, it’s not legal to water your lawn (using sprinklers) between 10am-4pm.  The hour restriction is probably the most important thing about these regulations: 10am-4pm are the hottest times of the day… so it makes sense to not water your lawn during a time with high water loss due to evaporation.  

When I was growing up, I only remember my sprinklers coming on late in the evening, maybe 10 or 11pm.  It makes sense, right?  Wait until it is cooler so the water you’re using stays on the grass instead of being pulled into the air.  It keeps your water on your lawn and keeps your grass greener—which I’m pretty sure is the point of watering your lawn anyway ;)

The regulations seem pretty tricky at first, but it’s really not, once you think about it.  The information is printable too, so you can print it out to post by your sprinkler controls.

Moreover, ACC Water Conservation Office has also provided tips on how to not be a water waster.”  Our drought is severe enough that the county government has passed an ordinance to protect our water!  Water wasters can be fined now, so it’s important for everything to be clear.

Some of the big ways that water is wasted (how’s that for alliteration?) are 1) allowing sprinklers to water the sidewalks instead of the yard, 2) not checking/fixing sprinkler leaks or broken heads, and 3) hosing off your sidewalk/driveway instead of sweeping or using a blower.  

I never thought about it like that.  I didn’t; I knew the drought was serious, but I never considered how much thought the government—local and state—put into trying to prevent water waste.

It’s nice to know that even something as little as waiting until the sun goes down to water your plants can help keep Athens healthy and hydrated.

Annaliese Ashley-Intern

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

A Voice for the Waters



Now that you know who the Water Conservation Office is, and how it is fitting into social media, I want to share a little about the people the Office speaks for.

This office is the spokesperson—or spokesoffice, I suppose—for the other divisions within Public Utilities.  Yes, Athens-Clarke County has a Public Information Office, but the Water Conservation Office serves to inform the public about everything water: from the recycling, cleaning, and filtering of it to the conservation of this precious resource.

Let me try to break it down a little.  

Within the Public Utilities Department, there are several divisions:
1) Water Conservation Office: that’s us, obviously.
2) Water Business Office: they handle your water and sewere bill, turn on your water, etc.
3) Meter Management: they handle your meters, making sure they’re working and reading correctly.
4) Water and Sewer: this is the group of people that handles Athens' water and sewer infrastructure (pipes, etc).
5) Water Reclamation: these facilities reclaim water we’ve used and treat it before returning it to the rivers.
6) Water Treatment: this facility treats our drinking water before it’s sent to us.

With the exception of our office, these divisions spend their time keeping our city hydrated and our water clean, so it’s our job to keep you thinking about them.  In particular, the water reclamation facility workers and the drinking water treatment plant workers are indispensable to Athens. 
In fact, Marilyn likes to consider them Athens’ first environmentalists: the treatment plants have been around since before the Clean Water Act (1972)!  
 Water Reclamation has been a practice in Athens since 1962: that’s 50 years of cleaning the water we put back into our rivers!  I want to give a huge round of applause to our Water Reclamation Facilities; because of the work they do, our rivers are much cleaner than they used to be.

Cleaner rivers mean less intense drinking water treatments, which mean cleaner drinking water!  Our drinking water treatment plant (J.G. Beacham Water Treatment Plant) takes water out of the North and Middle Oconee (or the Bear Creek Reservoir when the rivers are too low), purifies it, and sends it to our homes, businesses, and industries.  
My explanations of the processes at these plants are very simplified.  I will elaborate on each in later blogs (so stay tuned!!), but for now I just wanted to impress upon you that these facilities, and all the people who keep them running, are some of the most important in our city. 

Without them…I shudder to think what we’d be drinking.

So the next time you turn your faucet on to fill your water bottle or a pot for dinner:

Think at the sink.

Think about just how much time and effort goes into getting that cool, clear water to you.

Annaliese Ashley-Intern

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Slacker or Worker: the new look of PR

I want to take a little bit of a detour from water conservation to talk about social media.  I know, I know, this isn’t why you’re reading this blog, BUT, I have found that within our office, it’s become a huge topic of discussion.  I’ve forced myself into the forefront of social media on behalf of the Athens-Clarke County Water Conservation Office, and sometimes I wonder if I’ve jumped in over my head.
What I mean is I’ve had zero professional training.  I’ve taken zero classes on PR, marketing, journalism, or any other subject that would be remotely useful for expanding social media expertise.  And yet, here I am, forcing my way into this foreign world of computers and instant communication.  I’ve dragged my coworkers and bosses with me: better to make a journey like this with a team than to make it alone, I’m thankful for the support Team Water has given me.

But. There’s always a “but,” isn’t there? 

Though we’ve taken a huge step forward into the world of technology, we’re still creatures of habit.  We still view Facebook as a procrastination tool, as something that is not productive, that doesn’t classify as “work.”  We still feel uncomfortable with Twitter, with the idea that constantly tweeting, retweeting, and reading tweets is actually doing something worth being paid for.  Blogging still feels like writing in a journal, not connecting with a public that is genuinely interested in what our office is doing, and why it matters.  Pinterest sounds like another time-waster, not something useful for expanding your brand recognition.  I could go on, but you get the picture.

So what’s the deal?  Why am I complaining about sitting on Facebook and getting paid to do it?  Well…because I’m struggling with seeing it as acceptable.  

But it is.  

It’s very clear that Twitter and Facebook have done lots of work in furthering our conservation message.  Those of you that are on Facebook, Twitter, and the blog-o-sphere for fun DO see our conservation messages, our links, our photos, our events, our tweets, and (hopefully), they get you thinking about our water supply.  A huge part of our responsibility as the Water Conservation Office is outreach: getting across the importance of our Athens water, and the wise use of it.  How are messages received in today’s world?  Through TweetDeck, your Facebook inbox, and those handy apps on your phone.  That alone, I think, gives me permission to use those tools to speak to you.

Last “but,” I promise.  But what do you think?  Do you think I’m playing around all day?  Do you think this is a valuable endeavor?  Do you benefit from my incessant communication?  The most important thing I want to keep in mind during all these outreach efforts is: is this actually working?  Are those that I am speaking to actually listening?  If not, how can I change what I’m doing?  I do want to hear from you, my readers.  If I get responses, I’ll formulate a follow-up post with your ideas, thoughts, and I’ll give credit where credit is due.  So please tell me: what do you think?

Annaliese Ashley-Intern

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

40 Gallon Challenge

Alright guys, time to get real.  We’re in a drought. 

Gee thanks, Annaliese, I had no idea, I’ve only been hearing about it on the news for, like, ever.  

Well, I know, me too, but it’s serious.  Check out this Interactive Map of the U.S.Drought by NPR.  It’s a time-scale map of how much of the country has been or is in a drought over the past year. 
It’s hard to believe.  Some of the drought in the past few years has been influenced by the climate in the States.  What I wonder, is how much of our water shortage could be controlled by each of us conserving water in our own homes?  Maybe a few gallons, say, ten or so?  

That’s what I thought at first.  But after helping run a Project WET program called “The Long Haul,” I gained a better understanding of just how much water we use per day.  The average American family of four can use 400 gallons a day. A DAY.  That’s about 9.5 standard bathtubs full of water.  Those in other countries that walk to their water every day use about 5 gallons a day, so let’s say around 20 gallons for a family of four.  That means we use about 20 times more water per day here than those without plumbing.
So, what’s with all these numbers being thrown at you?  I know it’s a lot to take in, but bear with me, because the point is here.

Use less water.

Join me in the nationwide 40 Gallon Challenge this month.  Take a pledge to save water using tips listed online.  You’ll see lots of information on the website, but I’ll break it down for you here:
Nationwide, people are filling out online pledge cards that have conservation recommendations for households.  This pledge system is designed for two reasons: 1) to conserve the community’s water supply, and 2) so you can see a difference in your water-bill.  Most water bills are tiered by the 1000 gallons.  If you do the math, the 40 gallon challenge pledge to save 40 gallons a day, for 30 days, is 1200 gallons, which could knock you down a tier on your bill.  So, if you see that you’re already doing some of these conservation tips, don’t pledge to “do them,” because you’re already saving yourself some money, and you won’t be able to accurately track your pre and post-40gallon challenge savings.

I’m not trying to say: hey, don’t waste water, think about all those people in the world who don’t have any…but just consider that they can get by on 20 times less water than the average American.  Consider that we share our water with our farmers, with the industrial plants, with the vegetation, with the animals, and with each other.  Things could get tense around here if we run out, which is the understatement of the year, so just consider what you can do to help keep our blue planet blue.

I challenge you to take the 40 gallon challenge, and I want you to let me know when you do.

Annaliese Ashley-Intern