Loudoun Water Kicks Off Summer Campaign During National Drinking Water Week, May 5–10

(Ashburn) May 5, 2008 – In honor of National Drinking Water Week, Loudoun Water kicks off its summer campaign to promote wise water use by asking the community, “How many times a day do you turn on the tap?” The one-question survey is posted at www.loudounwater.org all this week to help raise awareness of our most precious natural resource and our collective use of it. Americans on average use 75 gallons of water per day, but Loudoun Water customers use more than 84 gallons per day, with the predominant amount going towards irrigation. Results of the survey will appear immediately for viewers to see how they compare with each other.

“Drinking Water Week is an opportunity to stop and think about a product we use every day,” said Dale Hammes, Loudoun Water General Manager. “Americans have some of the highest quality water in the world. This week is a chance to remind ourselves not to take it for granted.”

To celebrate Drinking Water Week, Loudoun Water kicks off its annual wise water use campaign with a t-shirt design contest that’s open to all of Loudoun’s high school students. The “Dry T-Shirt Contest” encourages students to come up with a picture, design, or slogan that fits within an 8.5-inch square, based on the idea of wise water use. Contest details, entry forms and submission guidelines are available at www.loudounwater.org/tshirtcontest. First prize gets an iPod Touch, provided by Meadows Farms Nurseries, and the winning design will be printed on 1,000 t-shirts given away this summer. Second prize is an iPod Nano, provided by Malcolm Pirnie, and third prize is a Flip Video camera, provided by Cellular Visions, an authorized AT&T dealer.

Loudoun Water also encourages teachers and parents to tap onto www.loudounwater.org/educational for water activities for all ages. In addition, the American Water Works Association offers 5 one-minute videos for viewing – one for each day of the week at http://www.drinktap.org/kidsdnn.

Everyone can help celebrate water every day, by using it wisely. Here are the Top Ten Tips for Going Green With Your Lawn: 

1.  Use a two-day per week schedule: odd addresses do Wed. & Sat. Even do Thurs. & Sun. Commercial/Nonresidential customers and Apts do Tues. and Fri.
2.  Skip the month of April for irrigation. Give your roots a chance to find the water that’s already there and they will grow deeply.
3.  Cycle and soak. This means water deeply, but infrequently (the two day schedule will suffice at no more than 30 minutes a time).
4.  Use technology to control your system. Rain shutoff devices, soil moisture sensors and ET controllers can help you water intelligently and efficiently.
5.  Avoid watering between 10 am-4 pm
6.  Irrigate the green only – not the driveway/sidewalk, etc.
7.  Use drip irrigation (soaker hoses) for beds. They need only a fraction of the water your lawn needs.
8.  Mow high to protect roots and use grass clippings, not fertilizer, to nourish them.
9.  If you must fertilize, use slow release kinds, and only in the fall.
10.  Plant native, drought tolerant plants, and use a variety of ground covers to limit the areas of water-dependent grass.

About Loudoun Water

Loudoun Water, also known as Loudoun County Sanitation Authority, was established in 1959 by resolution of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors as a state-chartered authority. Loudoun Water is not tax-supported and makes no profit. For nearly 50 years, Loudoun Water has provided dependable, high-quality drinking water and wastewater reclamation services to the unincorporated areas of Loudoun County. 

                                                                      
Contact: Samantha Villegas, 571.291.7942


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