Carson City big user of Minden water

Minden is not the biggest user of water pumped by the town, according to a report released on Wednesday.

During the first year that Minden has provided wholesale water outside the town boundaries, Carson City has actually been its biggest customer.

According to Minden, Carson City accounted for 45 percent of the water pumped by the town during the 13 months from April 2014 to April 2015.

The town itself accounted for a quarter of the 7,438.7 acre-feet Minden pumped during the 13 months. Douglas County, which delivers the water through a pipeline from Minden to Johnson Lane, Indian Hills and the capital, used 19 percent of the water. Indian Hills used only 11 percent.

Carson City has 3,250 acre feet of water rights they are permitted to use from Minden, and pumped 3,076.6 acre feet of that during the year that ended on April 2015.

An acre-foot is the amount of water it takes to cover an acre of land to the depth of one foot. It amounts to 325,851 gallons of water.

The figures came to light during a discussion by the town board on how to best set an example for water conservation in the fourth year of drought.

Town board members voted to place meters on town facilities to determine how much water is being used. The town water service puts meters on new homes and those being sold, but that’s not everyone. Town Manager Jenifer Davidson said anyone in town who wants a meter may apply to the town to get one.

“If we’re going to spend money that hasn’t been budgeted, then we should put in meters,” board member Charlie Condron said.

Because there are no meters on the facilities, it was a challenge for Public Works Director Greg Hill to provide accurate figures on what the town uses on its parks and other sites.

Minden resident and landscaper Christine Fixman suggested that if the cost was an issue, the town should skip putting meters on Minden or Westwood parks.

“I don’t think you’re going to take the parks apart, so you shouldn’t spend money,” she said.

She questioned the use of potable water to irrigate turf.

Davidson said installing meters at the parks would also allow the town to account for leaks and other issues that might not otherwise be apparent by estimating use.

In addition to installing meters, the town will implement odd and even watering days, replace the toilets at Minden Park with low-flow versions.

Hill also presented proposals that while they might cost a bit more would save more than a million gallons of water a year.

Those include removing the turf in the medians on Lucerne Street, on Ironwood and Bougainvillea.

The town also discussed updating its conservation plan.