M.U.D. asks customers to water on alternative days

Omaha, Neb.— Metropolitan Utilities District is asking customers to conserve water during this heat event by altering their watering schedules and practicing wise water use.

While ultimately there is ample water supply from the District’s three water plants to provide reliable service, the utility is seeing near record-level hourly demands when lawn watering occurs in the early morning hours (5-8 a.m.) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. System-wide, the water demand has approximated 1 million gallons in a four-minute period.

Reducing peak hour demands can benefit all customers by reducing the District’s operational costs and improving reliability. To balance demand and reduce stress on pumps, pipes and equipment, the District is asking water customers to voluntarily begin watering on odd/even days:

• If your address ends with an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7, 9), water on Monday, Wednesday and/or Friday.

• If your address ends with an even number (2,4, 6, 8, 0), water on Tuesday, Thursday and/or Saturday or Sunday.

In addition, the District offers these water conservation tips:

• Measure the amount of water applied to your lawn in a 15-minute period using a tuna can. Adjust the run time on the sprinkler system to deliver the required amount. Contact a lawn care professional if you need help.

• Make sure sprinkler heads are in working order and directed on your lawn and not on sidewalks, driveways and streets. Use sprinklers that emit large droplets, again to reduce losses due to evaporation.

• Check hose connections for leaks and repair them quickly. A single hose left on uses nearly 300 gallons of water an hour!

• Use a broom to clean patios, sidewalks and driveways.

• Use a remote rain sensor shutoff device on your sprinkler system. The District offers a rebate to water customers. For eligibility information and a rebate form, visit mudomaha.com/rebates.

The District provides water service to a population of more than 600,000 people in the metro Omaha area. The utility’s pumping capacity is more than 300 million gallons per day.

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About Metropolitan Utilities District: The mission of the Metropolitan Utilities District, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is to provide safe, reliable and cost-effective natural gas and water services to our community. Overall, the District serves more than 700,000 people in the metro area. The District is the fifth largest public natural gas utility in the United States, serving more than 235,000 customer-owners in Omaha, Bennington, Fort Calhoun, Springfield, Yutan and Bellevue. The District also provides safe, high quality drinking water to more than 222,000 customer-owners in Omaha, Bellevue, Bennington, Carter Lake, La Vista, Ralston, Waterloo and the Papio-Missouri Natural Resources District (which supplies water to Fort Calhoun). For more information, visit mudomaha.com.