FUN FACTS ABOUT WATER
Many times the simple task of merely turning on the water is taken for granted. It is always there when I want to use it and I can drink it, bathe or shower in it, wash my clothes, and dishes, clean with it, water my lawn or shrubs, wash my car etc.
But with all of the above mentioned it is also the one (1) specific item that I cannot live without. We can loose electricity and survive, we can loose heating fuel or gas and we can survive, but we can only live three (3) days without water, and that should make it the most important item in our lives.
Here at Water District #7 the Cost of Production (the amount of money that was spent to only produce the water that our customers used for one year) for 2017 was $675,000. This expense has nothing to do with managing 360+ miles of water main in the ground, none of the billing costs, the administration costs associated with payables or payroll or receivables and on and on. Water is expensive to produce at a level of quality that our governing authorities require.
An average household in the U.S. uses about 360 gallons per day for four (4) individuals. The largest portion is used for toilet flushing. Of the 360 gallons only about two (2) gallons is consumed.
Leaks within a home can cost both the District as well as the customers a large amount of money. An example would be if customer had a leak that had a 1/8th inch hole leaking over a quarter it would leak approximately 300,000 gallons. A leaking toilet bowl would typically leak about three (3) gallons per hour or 72 gallons per day and so forth.
If you suspect a stool is leaking you can put a few drops of food coloring in your stool tank and if it is leaking it will pass that color into the bowl.
LEAD in drinking water is a huge story in the news now, Water District #7 is proud to announce that we are only required to test for lead content in our water every three (3) years instead of the normal every year. Lead in your water in a system such as ours always comes from leeching from your water lines, valves, faucets and other components within your home.
The method that prevents Lead leeching is called corrosion control. We specifically produce our water so that it provides a scaling barrier on the inside of your pipes so that lead solder or other items cannot leech lead into your drinking water. Thus our test results allow us to only test every three (3) years.
Almost 75% of the earth is covered in water but only about 1% is suitable and available for drinking using conventional water treatment.
In just 16 hours, water utilities in the U.S. produce as much potable water as the oil industry produces in oil in a year. In 24 hours, as much water tonnage is produced as the steel industry produces in steel in an entire year.
EMERGENCIES
To better prepare your family for emergencies, just as we prepare for emergencies here at Water District #7, below are few suggestions that everyone should consider in case of an unforeseen emergency.
Try to have on hand enough water for your family to survive for at least three (3) days and of course more if possible. For a family of four you should plan on one (1) gallon per day for every member of the household.
As mentioned earlier District #7 attempts to make repairs as fast as is possible and always focused on bringing water back on line after repairs as soon as we can safely do so.
In most instances if there are scheduled repairs we attempt to call all customers affected by a leak and let them know when the water will be off but for emergency repairs that is impossible to do. We have an automatic phone dialing process that provides that service.
In case of a notice for a Precautionary Boil order, be sure to boil any water that will be consumed for at least three (3) minutes and let it cool before consumption.
When the Boil order is lifted we will contact all those affected if at all possible.
Don’t forget to contact us if your phone number changes or we won’t be able to provide you with notices.
If customers require Notary assistance, we typically have three (3) Notaries on site at the main office and can Notarize most documents easily and normally without any charges.
Also, we have Fax and Copy services for anyone that requires it at a reasonable price.
OVER $137,346 IN CUSTOMER AID
Annually many customers experience water leaks and expensive repairs on their service lines and yard hydrants. Due to stringent covenants by #7's bond holders, little aid has been available. Because of these restrictions, #7's Board of Directors approved a Customer Leak Assistance Fund in 2007, designed to aid customers with water loss expenses not meeting the original 1988 adjustment policy. 75 cents per month is billed per customer and funds are tracked in a restricted use, interest bearing account. Any customers with a qualifying leak may apply for leak assistance for water loss above their average monthly use. #7 is Happy to share that at December 2022 a total of 350 customers have received assistance equaling more than $137,346 in Aid.