WATER DISPENSER CLOSED DUE TO DROUGHT
Water Dispenser
This has been a very hard decision for the Public Works Director and for the Board to make. But due to the historic low water flow, the Town has made the decision to protect the water users that have purchased a water tap. If the water flow from the Town spring increases the Town will be happy to open the dispenser up again. We are truly sorry for any inconvenience this may cause to you and your family.
Conserve Water
WATER CONSERVATION IN EFFECT
CONSERVE WATER
As you may know, the snowpack for the last two years has been low to average. We are beginning to see the effects of the 2018 low snowpack and an unusually dry and windy Spring. The Town’s water source, a mountain spring, has seen declining flows over the last month. Water flows are now approaching historical lows seen in the late 1970’s and early 2000’s. We are asking all in Town and out of Town Water users to please conserve water. In the past, voluntary conservation measures have succeeded in maintaining sufficient water for household use and firefighting. Because of the decline in the output of the Town’s Spring this early in the year, coupled with the likelihood that water flows will decline as demand increases, the Town has implemented a new drought water usage rate. This rate will remain in effect until the Town, in consultation with the Public Works Director, deems these rates no longer necessary. See New Rates for emergency conservation below.
Please be conscious of how you are using water. If you have a leak, please have it repaired. If customers have high usage, they will be charged according to the new fees. If you have been advised by the Town about a leak and fail to repair it, your water service can be shut off until the leak is repaired.
Some tips for conserving water outside include watering in-ground plants in the early morning and water plants in containers in the afternoon. Leave your grass longer when you cut it, this helps to hold in the moisture and slows water evaporation. Add mulch around plants to help slow water evaporation. Here are a few more tips for conserving water around the home:
- Always turn taps off tightly so they do not drip.
- Promptly repair any leaks in and around your taps. (One leak can waste several thousand gallons of water per year.)
- Use an aerator and/or a water flow-reducer attachment on your tap to reduce your water usage.
- When hand-washing dishes, never run water continuously. Wash dishes in a partially filled sink and then rinse them using the spray attachment on your tap.
- If you have an electric dishwasher, use it only to wash full loads, and use the shortest cycle possible. Many dishwashers have a conserver/water-miser cycle.
- When brushing your teeth, turn the water off while you are actually brushing. Use short bursts of water for cleaning your brush. (This saves about 80% of the water normally used.)
- When washing or shaving, partially fill the sink and use that water rather than running the tap continuously. (This saves about 60% of the water normally used.) Use short bursts of water to clean razors.
- Use either low-flow shower heads or adjustable flow-reducer devices on your shower heads. (They reduce flow by at least 25%.)
- You can reduce water usage by 40% to 50% by installing low-flush toilets.
- Wash only full loads in your washing machine.
- Use the shortest cycle possible for washing clothes, and use the "suds-saver" feature if your machine has one.
- Lawns and gardens require less than ¼ inch of water per day during warm weather. Less is needed during spring, fall, or cool weather.
- Water lawns every three to five days, rather than for a short period every day. In warm weather, apply 3/16 inch of water for each day since the last watering.
- Water during the cool part of the day, in the morning or evening. Do not water on windy days.
- Do not over-water in anticipation of a shortage. Soil cannot store extra water.
- Use shut-off timers or on-off timers, if possible. Do not turn on sprinklers and leave for the day.
The following Town Code outlines some of the measures that can be taken. To date, with water conservation help from Crawford’s water users, the only measure the Town has taken is to temporarily shut off the water dispenser to out of Town users.
Sec. 13-2-190. - In-Town users’ priority.
The Town hereby reserves the first priority for the use of its municipal water system for the inhabitants and water users located within the corporate limits of the Town and any additions thereto. Accordingly, in times of drought or other water shortage which, in the discretion of the Board of Trustees, threatens the capacity of the Town's water supply system, the Board of Trustees may take the following actions as it may determine best under the circumstances:
(1) The Board of Trustees may shut off service to rural water areas, the water dispenser or any part thereof. If the Board determines that it is not necessary to curtail all rural domestic water supply, it may order that taps be closed in reverse order of their issuance until the water supply for the Town is protected.
(2) The Board of Trustees may order the metering of water consumed by rural and in-town water taps and impose a graduated schedule of rates for water assessments increasing with rising consumption in a manner that will encourage water conservation.
(3) Action authorized by this section may be taken by the Board of Trustees by resolution setting forth a summary of the circumstances which the Board finds to require the imposition of such measures and, in accordance with Section 13-2-80, setting the rates for metered water usage as the case may be. In taking action under this Section 13-2-190, the Board of Trustees, in consultation with the Public Works Director, shall determine when conservation measures should go into effect, and their duration, to temporarily reduce the demand placed on the Town's domestic water supply system giving primary consideration to the following factors affecting the Town's domestic water supply and/or the capacity of the Town's domestic water system to deliver water:
a. The extent to which the Town's ability to fight fire may be compromised;
b. The extent to which the Town's ability to deliver water to in-town water users may be compromised;
c. The cause of the limitations on the Town's ability to deliver domestic water including drought or other circumstances of nature beyond the control of the Town and the need to make improvements or repairs on the Town's domestic water delivery infrastructure.
d. The ability of the Town to provide fair and adequate notice to its water users of the measures to be implemented.
(Ord. 4-1980 § 18; Ord. 2-2005 § 1; Ord. 1-2012 § 1)
A Surcharge may be added; A surcharge is a temporary additional fee added to the water bill in times of water shortage such as drought.
WATER RATES DURING A DROUGHT
- Implementation of Revised Water Rate. To encourage the conservation of water the Town of Crawford enacts the following Drought Water Usage Rate: Effective June 1, 2021.
RURAL:
5000 GALLONS: BASE RATE $(28.50)
5000-10000 GALLONS: $1.00/1000 GALLONS
10000-15000 GALLONS: $2.00/1000 GALLONS
15000-20000 GALLONS: $2.50/1000 GALLONS
20000- 25000 GALLONS: $5.00/1000 GALLONS
25000- 30000 GALLONS: $7.00/1000 GALLONS
30000+ GALLONS: $10.00 /1000 GALLONS
RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL
10000 GALLONS AT BASE RATE $25.90/$28.50
10000-15000 GALLONS: $1.00/1000 GALLONS
15000-20000 GALLONS: $1.50/1000 GALLONS
20000- 25000 GALLONS: $3.00/1000 GALLONS
25000- 30000 GALLONS: $5.00/1000 GALLONS
30000-50000 GALLONS: $7.00/1000 GALLONS
50000+ GALLONS $10.00/1000 GALLONS
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Water Dispenser Station
Our coin operated water dispenser station is open 24/7. However, Public works will only be available Monday - Friday 8-4 to make repairs to the water dispenser.
When inserting a coin you must wait to be sure the dispenser is working.
Please use one coin at a time.
If the water does not flow, the dispenser is not working.
Our water station accepts U.S. quarters only!
Please do not attempt to un-jam the coin operated dispenser.
If water dispenser is out of service please turn the sign that says the dispenser is NOT working.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
