Lumby water-use efficiency project

Posted December 2005

On July 20, 2005, the Village of Lumby launched its Water-use Efficiency Program. In keeping with the newly adopted Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan, a Stage-1 water conservation threshold was declared that introduced water sprinkling regulations, a public education program, and a more stringent water level monitoring program for village wells. This was well received by residents, and resulted in excellent voluntary compliance.

Granted, weather patterns change from year to year (as August in 2003 and 2005 were predominantly the hottest months, compared to July being the warmest month in 2004), but water consumption is dropping. It appears, however, that increased awareness about water consumption may have led to a leveling out, as the numbers for 2004 and 2005 are very close.

In 2003, the peak day for water consumption was 770,000 gallons. This constitutes 85 percent of pumping capacity for Lumby’s water system. In 2004, the peak day was 550,000 gallons, representing a more manageable 61 percent of pumping capacity. Finally, in 2005, the peak day reached 585,000 gallons. This proves that education has encouraged residents to comply with water-use efficiency measures. This has resulted in enormous cost savings for pumping and maintenance.

The continued support of residents, and the forthcoming water system upgrade, only confirm that Lumby is “Simply the Best”.

For more information contact the Village of Lumby at 250-547-2171 or lumbyvil@junction.net.