2010 ELECTIONS

We need your service! Board Member elections are in May and candidates are needed to serve on the RFWSD Board. If you are interested and are able to commit to a monthly Board meeting, please contact our office for more information at (970)945-2144. You may also join us for our next Board meeting at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 19, 2010. The meetings are held at the District’s wastewater plant at 2550 County Rd. 109, Carbondale.

MILL LEVY REDUCTION

In November, the Board of Directors approved a reduction in the District’s Mill Levy for 2010, dropping it from 4.111 in 2009 to 3.7905 for 2010. The District’s property tax revenue is used to fund operating expenses as well as depreciation. This depreciation money is set aside for the future replacement of pumps, lines, tanks, buildings, etc. In 2009, this fund was used to make repairs to the wastewater treatment facility’s filter building. This year, additional upgrades will continue to be made to the wastewater treatment facility to assure continued operating efficiency.

WATER CONSERVATION

Winter is a good time of year to perform a self-audit of your home to check for leaks and identify opportunities to save water. Follow this 3-step plan to start saving water inside your home.

1. Repair Leaks—Verify your home is leak-free by reading your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. (To read your water meter, shine a flashlight onto the solar screen for several seconds.) If the meter does not read exactly the same, complete an indoor audit of your home by checking for leaks in the following places:

• Inspect supply lines under all of your sinks and behind your dishwasher and washing machine.
• Replace shower heads and aerators in faucets if there are signs of leaks or they are old.
• Add a few drops of food coloring to the water in your toilet tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear in the bowl within 30 minutes.

2. Install Water-Saving Devices—Save water, energy and money by installing energy-efficient fixtures. Replace the following old fixtures with today’s state-of-the-art water saving devices:

• Shower Heads & Faucets
• Toilets
• Washing Machine

3. Change your Habits—Think about the amount of water you are using and how you can avoid putting water down the drain unnecessarily. To use less water

• Reduce shower times to 5 minutes
• Brush your teeth while waiting for the water to get hot, and then fill up the basin to wash or shave.
• Avoid unnecessary flushing by disposing of tissue, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
• Use the load selector on your washing machine to match the water level of the size of the load or only do full loads.
• When loading your dishwasher, scrape dishes instead of rinsing. Run the dishwasher only when full and utilize the energy saving option.
• When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink with soapy water and rinse quickly under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.
• Garbage disposals require a lot of water to operate properly. Consider starting a compost pile as an alternative method of disposing food waste.
• Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant.