Bedford water issues voluntary drought conservation request

Bedford, Va. — Bedford County is currently experiencing severe drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Despite the ongoing dry weather, Bedford Water (BW) continues to maintain a reliable water supply through its three drinking water sources: Smith Mountain Lake, Stoney Creek Reservoir, and water purchased from Lynchburg Water Resources.

This diversified system has allowed BW to meet customer demand without implementing conservation measures for most customers throughout the summer. As drought conditions have persisted, all three water sources have been impacted. While there is still ample water available from all three sources, BW is following the alert stage response of the Drought Response and Water Conservation Plan by requesting voluntary water conservation activities.

Earlier this year, when drought conditions first affected Smith Mountain Lake, BW asked customers in that service area to voluntarily conserve water. To help preserve water resources across the system, BW is now temporarily requesting that all Bedford Water customers voluntarily conserve water use, with a goal of lowering overall usage by approximately 5–10%.

Recommended voluntary water conservation

Until further notice, customers are encouraged to limit or eliminate non-essential water use, including:

• Ornamental purposes (fountains, decorative ponds, artificial waterfalls, etc.)
• Outdoor non-commercial watering (gardens, lawns, recreation areas, etc.). If you must water, do it in the early morning or late evening to reduce evaporation and use a watering can or other container not exceeding three (3) gallons in capacity.
• Filling and operation of swimming pools. Cover pools when not in use to limit evaporation.
• Washing of motor vehicles (automobiles, trucks, boats, and trailers)
• Fire hydrants (except for firefighting and firefighting related activities)
• Flushing of sewers and hydrants; washing of paved areas (sidewalks, driveways, patios, etc.)
• Air conditioning (examples: refilling cooling tower after draining, etc.)