Proactive Planning Preserves Resources for Future Generations

Abstract

This article discusses opportunities to develop a water conservation program at Valparaiso (Indiana) City Utilities (VCU) that would have the following goals: promote and provide environmental sustainability leadership; potentially offset or delay capital expansion costs; and, provide customers with a way to increase water use efficiency. The article discusses the creation of a task force to provide input and guidance and serve as a conduit to the community, and presents task force plan objectives, along with the water conservation plan based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) guidelines, and selected measures that where analyzed for cost benefit analyses. The water conservation plan also focused on public education and community outreach to motivate VCU customers to understand the value of conserving water.