Beat the Peak – First Utility’s New Irrigation Policy

by | May 5, 2021 | Uncategorized

First Utility District Announces New Alternate Day Irrigation Policy to Avoid Raising Rates, Saving Millions!

First Utility District’s new irrigation schedule will save the district tens of millions of dollars in upgrades. How? By avoiding the water peak. Have you ever gone to a college gameday and struggled to connect to the WiFi? No matter how strong the WiFi in the stadium is, for those few hours, the thousands of fans completely overload the system, creating “peak” usage for just a few hours.

The Water Peak

Did you know that showering and irrigation often happen concurrently between 5-7 a.m. in First Utility’s service area? This creates peak water usage of six times the average for two hours during summer mornings a few days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday being the worst). Any other time of day or season of the year, our pipes are more than enough for the water demand, which makes a system upgrade an expensive and unnecessary cost to our customers. Together, we can avoid costly pipe upgrades and avoid raising rates through First Utility District’s NEW alternate day watering ordinance!

So when do you water? Just follow the schedule!

 

Watch General Manager Bruce Giles talk about Beat the Peak here!

Got Questions? We have answers!
Is the new policy already affective?
Yes, the official start date was January 1st, 2021.

 

Is watering 3 days a week good for my lawn or garden?
Yes, watering more deeply and less frequently is ideal for lawns and gardens. See our website for more information and references. Most irrigation systems already water three days a week on alternating days, however the vast majority all alternate Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, causing stress to the system only on those  mornings each week.

 

I water using a hose/sprinkler. Does the new policy apply to me? 
No, the ordinance only applies to permanent, inground irrigation systems.

 

I have new sod or seed. Should I follow the irrigation schedule?
First Utility District makes an exception for new sod or new seed. You may water as often as necessary for up to 45 days.

 

Why not just upgrade First Utility’s distribution system pipes?
Our distribution system is more than enough except for these peaks hours in which people get ready for work and irrigate at the same time. The upgrades would cost tens of millions of dollars to our district and disrupt traffic/yards/neighborhoods. Additionally, during most time of day and seasons the larger pipes would be far larger than necessary.

 

To know whether my address is even or odd, I simply pay attention to the very last number of my address?
Yes. Using First Utility’s address as an example, 122 Durwood Drive, FUD’s address would be an even address because of the final number, 122. For common areas and irrigation systems serving multiple business addresses, the service address as shown on the monthly bill shall be used. If the service address does not include a number, the address should follow the odd day schedule.

 

Thanks for Helping Us Beat the Peak!

Still have questions? We can help! Email us!

Looking for good literature on irrigation schedules and watering recommendations?