General Information

April 29, 2008

In order to fund ongoing operation, maintenance and capital improvements of the water and sewer systems, new water and sewer rates have gone into effect.  These new rates will be reflected in bills issued in September of 2008, that will cover water and sewer service provided after April 30, 2008.

If the Department is unable to obtain a water reading, your sewer bill will be based on a minimum 5,000 gallon use, which would amount of $42.50. Request for final reading for real estate transfers must be made to our office 48 hours in advance. Any claims for adjustment of this bill must be made within 30 days to the office of the Water and Sewer Department. Further details are written on the back of the water and sewer bills.

The town manager has provided to the Board of Selectmen a series of exhibits outlining the financial impact of this action.

• Water Rate Exhibits
• Sewer Rate Exhibits 

Available Forms

• New Owner Application

Our customers have access to an abundance of water much of the time, so the importance of clean water is often overlooked. For most of us, water use is a habit. We are accustomed to having water available at the twist of a faucet. We usually do not think about how much water we use.

Mean Daily Per Capita Water Use

Indoor Per Capita Use By Fixture

Average Daily Water Use
Be aware of how much water you use! Awareness is the first step in conservation. The average person uses fifty gallons of water per day on the following activities:

TOTAL 50 GALLONS
In addition, approximately 40 gallons/day is used for outdoor water usage. Presently, our Town wide average is 91 gallons/day/person. To bring in new sources of water supply to the Town, it will be necessary to reduce water usage to a goal of 65 gallons/day/person.
You can determine your average daily water use by using one of the following two methods.

Metered Water
If your water use is metered, review your water bill. Divide your water usage by the number of days in the billing period and also by the number of residents of your household.

Water Savings
The amount of savings depends on current water consumption habits, water, sewer and energy costs, current flow rates of fixtures and flush volumes of toilets, system pressure, and the amount of water leakage through fittings and toilets.

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The following chart highlights how much water can be conserved by installing water-saving equipment in place of conventional plumbing fixtures, fittings and appliances.

Some Further Tips on Saving Water Indoors
During droughts or other emergencies, you may be asked to help by conserving water. You'll be surprised at how much you can save without hardship right in your own home. Water conservation is a good way of life. Let's practice it together:

• Showers can take less water than baths, but not if you spend 10 to 20 minutes in the shower. Since most showers pour out between 5 to 10 gallons per minute, that can add up in a hurry. It's more a matter of self-control. A partially filled tub or a shorter shower will no doubt use less water. Time yourself next time, the odds are you really don't need to stand that that long nor do you need the shower running at full, hot blast.



• When shaving and brushing our teeth, try not to leave the water running. Run as much as you need, then turn off the tap until you need some more. It adds up to a whale-of-a-lot of wasted water.



• A little leak can go a long way. Just a slow drip can waste up to 15 to 20 gallons a day!!!! Most leaks are caused by worn washers. Check all the faucets once a year.



• Many washing machines use 40 gallons of water for a load whether you have them stuffed full or with only a couple of socks. Save up for a full load and make your water work more efficiently. Or remember to set your machine for a lesser load if it can be adjusted.

This is the time of the year when the Department likes to share tips for conserving water. Since outdoor water use presents the most stress to our water system, the District suggests the following landscaping tips:

• Choose grass species that are drought tolerant. The Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture recommends tall fescue and fine fescues as the most drought tolerant grasses.



• Shady areas need less water. Plant shade trees and carefully maintain those that are already in the yard.



• Add organic material or compost to the soil. Mulch will also help soil to maintain moisture.



• When preparing a landscape plan, include alternatives to grass such as ground covers, wood chips, stones, or natural features. Keeping a lawn green and healthy requires more water. Consider a patio or rock garden as an alternative to grass.



• Watering thoroughly once or twice a week should be adequate for any type of landscaping. Deep watering less often promotes deeper roots which in turn require less water. Irrigation systems should be used only to supplement natural rainfall.



• Don't water on windy days or in the middle of the day when you'll lose much of the water to evaporation.



• Buy a rain gauge to set in your lawn which will help you to determine how much natural or lawn sprinkler water your landscaping has received.



• Don't cut your grass too short or too often during low rainfall periods.

Drought Tolerant Plants

• Flowers: Clematis, coreopsis, cosmos, daylily, dianthus, morning glory, phlox, salvia, sedum, and yarrow.



• Trees and Shrubs: Blue rug juniper, Bradford pear, crabapple, hawthorn, linden maple, mock orange, redbud, Scotch broom, and yew.

RESOLUTION WATER USE RESTRICTION

Whereas The Board of Selectmen has determined that a shortage of water exists and conservation measures are necessary to ensure an adequate supply of water to all water consumers, and

Whereas The Board of Selectmen is empowered under Article 18 of the General By-Laws of the Town of Shrewsbury to take action to ensure an adequate supply of water to all water consumers, therefore be it resolved:

1. Pursuant to Article 18, Section 4 of the General By-Laws of the Town of Shrewsbury the following water conservation measure is hereby implemented:
   
   Outdoor Use of Water Restriction
   
   Based upon the street address number as follows:
   • Even numbered addresses may use water outdoors: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
   • Odd numbered addresses may use water outdoors: Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
   • No outdoor use of water on Monday
     
     
2. The Board of Selectmen calls upon all water users to conserve water whenever possible and to observe the above listed water restriction.
   
   
3. The Board of Selectmen determines that for the period of time that this State of a Water Supply Conservation is in effect that enforcement of the provisions of Article 18 of the General By-Laws of the Town of Shrewsbury shall be pursuant to General Laws Chapter 40, Section 21D which provides for non-criminal disposition.
   
   
4. This restriction becomes effective on May 15, 2006.

Adopted this 17th day of April, 2006.