Although our equipment is improving, a combination of several issues has us at the limit.
We’ve yet to identify a likely leak(s) in the system costing us a good bit of water (thousands of gallons) a day. Add to that some underproduction from the well we have a new pump in, well blending ratio issues and heavy consumption, and we’re running a deficit that’s going to run us out of fresh water.
It’s critical we idenify any leaks in homes. People running water to prevent line freezes or leaking toilets are known large consumers of water. They also contribute to filling up our septic systems.
- Please check your toilets for leaking flaps and replace them if necessary. It’s not a difficult job.
- Please DON’T run water to keep pipes from freezing. Check and update your heating cable and insulation wrap instead.
- Please take a walk around your homes. Look for flowing water or ice formation. It may not be visible due to heavy snow cover, but a walking inspection might reveal a problem.
If our storage tank runs out of water, we’ll have to shut down the system for a day to recharge it. That will buy us perhaps a week and a half before it happens again. We might need to do this weekly if we can’t get these issues under control. We might also have to deliver water to the storage tank, but that costs hundreds of dollars a load and is unsustainable. If we shut down, we’ll be under a boil water notice for quite some time — similar to when our storage tank was destroyed during hurricane Irene.
Please do what you can to help us find and solve all issues. We’ll be working with our water service company, well technicians and leak detectors from VT Rural Water. We will be entering lots to test and look for leaks, but you’ll need to check your own homes.
— SGC.coop Board