United Water Delaware: News

CONTACT:
Anthony Langley
(302) 633-5905 ext. 303

Constance Arter
1-888-299-8972

United Water Delaware Urges Customers to Reduce Nonessential Water Use by 10%

WILMINGTON, DE, July 22, 2002 – United Water Delaware joins Governor Ruth Ann Minner in encouraging customers to increase conservation efforts to reduce non-essential water usage by 10%. Low stream flows and declining shallow groundwater levels continue to put the state at risk for a drought emergency, which would impose mandatory water restrictions on non-essential water use. There are no mandatory restrictions for residents at this time. Complying with the state’s call for a 10% voluntary reduction in usage could reduce the public water demand by 7 million gallons a day, which is the goal of Governor Minner and the Governor’s Drought Advisory Committee.

“Fresh, clean drinking water is yours to use whenever you need it. However, we all need to work together to ensure that it stays that way,” says Anthony Langley, General Manager of United Water Delaware. Langley recognizes the State is in the middle of the hot summer months when, under normal conditions, customers outdoor water usage increases. “As long as the temperature continues to rise, there will be a demand for outdoors nonessential water use. But while we are in a DROUGHT WARNING we must be responsible. Precipitation deficits are causing our groundwater supplies and natural stream flows to diminish.”

United Water Delaware insists that by taking a few simple steps Northern New Castle County can reach their goal of a 10% reduction in water consumption. The company suggests the following conservation ideas:

1.	Take shorter showers or take a bath. A bath in a partially filled tub uses less water than even the shortest showers.
2.	Don’t leave water running when brushing teeth and fill a glass for rinsing.
3.	If you wash dishes by hand and have two sinks, fill one sink with soapy water and the other with rinse water. If you have one sink, gather washed dishes in a rack and rinse them with a spray device or a pan of hot water.
4.	Use your automatic dishwasher and laundry washing machine only for full loads.
5.	Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running tap water to cool it is wasteful.
6.	Check all faucets and pipes for leaks. Leaks waste water 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can often be repaired with an inexpensive washer.

For a complete list of conservation ideas that will reduce indoor and outdoor nonessential water use please visit the drought information page within this site, or call our customer service center at (302) 633-5900.

“Water is an essential of life,” says Anthony Langley. “We must use water; however, by just taking a few simple steps we can voluntarily reduce our water consumption and possibly avoid a mandatory restriction.”

United Water Delaware provides water services to 103,000 people in New Castle County, DE. The company is a subsidiary of United Water Resources, one of the nation's largest water services companies.

United Water Resources