Hot, dry weather makes water conservation necessary

When hot weather continues and there is no rain in the forecast, we all need to be mindful of outdoor water use. Heavy water use during the day causes a drop in pressure, and reduced use at night causes an increase in pressure. This makes it difficult to maintain the Township water system and can cause the water pipes to break.

The Department of Public Works urges each customer to follow the odd/even rule for irrigation. Residents with odd-numbered addresses should water on odd-numbered days and those with even-numbered addresses on even days. Please water from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM when use of the system is lowest. This will help preserve the water system, ensure adequate water for firefighting, and help hold down water bills.

Water Facts and Figures

  • 2.5 billion gallons of drinking water are purchased annually from Southeast Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA).
  • 7 million gallons of drinking water are delivered per day to Township customers.
  • 295 miles of Township-owned piping deliver the drinking water.
  • 65% of all drinking water used in the summer is for outdoor purposes, primarily watering lawns & gardens as well as washing cars.
  • One leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons per day or more.
  • A leak as little as 1/16th of an inch can waste over 800 gallons of water per day.

Why Do We Purchase Water from SOCWA?

In July of 2011, the Township began purchasing water from Southeast Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) instead of directly from Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). It was projected that DWSD’s rates would be increasing by over 10% that year and that increase would have been passed on to Township customers. By purchasing water through SOCWA we were able to avoid that rate increase and hold the water rate steady in 2011. Moving into the future, we hope that being a customer of SOCWA will help us to stabilize our cost for water and keep our water rates from increasing excessively in the future.

How Safe is Our Water?

In 1974 Congress passed the national Safe Drinking Water Act that authorized the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate contaminants that presented health risks in the nation’s drinking water supplies. These regulations were amended in 1986 and in 1996 to place more stringent regulations onto the water purveyor. All water providers must make sure they are in compliance with these standards. Click here to view the Water Quality report.

Why Conserve Water?

  1. Lowering the Township’s maximum daily and peak water demands may result in lowering the rate charged by SOCWA.
  2. Reducing water usage during peak demand periods will provide better reliability of the system’s operating pressures for fire prevention.

How Can I Conserve Water?

  1. Set your automatic sprinkling system so it runs between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM on any desired day.
  2. Water lawns every other day. Homeowners with addresses ending in odd numbers should water outdoors only on odd numbered calendar days; those with even-numbered address should use water outdoors on even calendar days.
  3. Check faucets and toilets for leaks.