Buena Vista implements voluntary water restrictions

As the lack of snow pack and rain continues to impact the Arkansas River Valley, the town of Buena Vista has established voluntary water restrictions. The town suggests residents observe “no-watering Mondays” and limit outside watering to the hours between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m.

“It’s drier than usual this year; help us use water efficiently,” according to a Buena Vista informational flier. The town administration hopes that implementing voluntary measures will reduce the need to institute mandatory water restrictions this summer.

The Buena Vista Board of Trustees established an outside watering scheduled based on odd- and even-numbered addresses. Odd-numbered addresses should water on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Even-numbered addresses should water on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Alternating watering days helps to balance water production at the BV treatment plant and better water pressure to the system.

To help residents conserve water, BV offers these watering tips:

• Adjust lawn sprinklers for maximum efficiency.
• Check your system for leaks.
• Add mulch around plants and trees to conserve moisture.
• Water at night when less water will evaporate (50 percent of water is lost to evaporation during mid-day watering).
• Turn sprinklers off during high winds or when it’s raining.
• Direct any questions to Buena Vista Public Works (719-395-6898).

Buena Vista’s water resources are more limited than Poncha Springs and Salida. At the June 14 Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District monthly board meeting, hydrologist Jord Gertson reported the following acre-feet of water reserves for the three municipalities:

*According to the Water Education Foundation, one acre-foot of water is defined as equal to about 326,000 gallons, or enough water to cover an acre of land, about the size of a football field, one foot deep. An average household uses between one-half and one acre-foot of water per year for indoor and outdoor use.