City Takes Steps to
Cut Water Costs
Outdoor Underground
Sprinkler Restrictions In Effect
(TROY,
MI) – In an effort to
control costs relating to water usage, the Troy City Council has recently
approved a recommended ordinance to restrict the run time of underground
irrigation systems, such as sprinkler systems. Effective since June 5, 2008,
underground irrigation systems must run only between the hours of 11 pm and 5
am daily. This change of timing will decrease the amount of peak hour water use
and can translate into an approximate $500,000 annual savings for water users
in the City of Troy.
“The
primary focus of this change is to reduce peak usage,” said Richard Shepler,
Water and Sewer Superintendent for the City. “The lower our
peak usage, the lower our water rates.”
The
ordinance, which was added as an amendment to the City Water Utility chapter of
the Code and Charter, only restricts the timing of the underground irrigation
system and does not pertain to the initial start up,
maintenance, or testing of the system. The ordinance states that water users
may manually irrigate their landscaping at any time as long as the irrigation
is not connected to an underground system and is attended and monitored by the
user. Any person, firm, or corporation violating these provisions could be
issued a municipal civil infraction resulting in a fine.
The
ordinance also states that municipal water users can petition the
Superintendent of the Department of Water and Sewer if the restrictions cause a
practical hardship. The petition will allow water users to request relief from
the restrictions. The Director of Public Works can then grant or deny each
petition based on the circumstances stated by the water user as well as the
contractual obligations of the City.
For
more information about the Outdoor Underground Sprinkler Restrictions, visit
the City’s Web site at www.troymi.gov. To see if your sprinkler system is
affected by these restrictions, call 248.524.3370 or e-mail WaterDepartment@troymi.gov.
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