Heather N. Kolich, ANR Agent, UGA Extension Forsyth County
Along just about everything else, the cost of water has risen. In the December billing statement, the Forsyth County Water and Sewer Department announced slight increases in base and usage rates for water and sewer services. The 2023 rate increase is part of a multi-year plan to ensure the department maintains cost recovery and sufficient operating revenue while keeping up with increased demand for water and sewer services. Through the planned process, water rates will increase by 3.5 percent each year through 2027.
More concerning than the cost of water is its scarcity. Georgia’s annually increasing population also increases the demand for water, a limited natural resource. Forsyth County employs a tier pricing structure to encourage water conservation and efficiency. At Tier 1 consumption of up to 6,000 gallons of water per month, residential customers pay $4.02 per 1,000-gallon unit. When water consumption rises to Tier 2 (6,000-12,000 gallons per month), the cost per unit for the additional amount increases to $5.43.
“As costs get higher,” Forsyth County Water Resources Manager Steve Dorsch said, “the idea is that [customers] will use less water.”
According to the 2018 Forsyth County Water and Wastewater Rate Study, approximately 80 percent of residential customers consume water at the Tier 1 level, with a typical monthly water bill that’s less than $30. When we look at our actual water bills, however, we find seasonal cycles. Outdoor irrigation during the summer months can account for 30-60 percent of annual household water consumption.
We have many opportunities to reduce household and landscape water usage. Small changes, like turning off the water while brushing your teeth, saves eight gallons of water per day. Turning it off while shaving or hand-washing dishes saves 10 gallons per day. Fixing a dripping or leaky faucet can save 3,000 gallons of water per year. And waiting to run the dishwasher until it’s full can reduce your usage by one load of dishes each week and around 320 gallons of water annually.
As much as half of the water we use for landscape irrigation is wasted due to inefficient application practices. Fortunately, again, we can take numerous small actions – and a few moderate ones – to reduce outdoor water usage and still have healthy, attractive landscape plants. Using a rain gauge to measure rainfall and a timer for irrigation systems reduces water waste from overwatering. Installing a rain barrel to collect and store rainfall for later use saves money, helps alleviate water supply strain during dry spells, and reduces stormwater runoff.
To help encourage efficient water usage and conservation, Forsyth County Extension and the Forsyth County Water and Sewer Department are partnering to offer classes in February and March covering water conservation in the landscape, water harvesting, and rain barrel installation and use. County residents who participate in a class will receive a high-quality, ready-to-install rain barrel, courtesy of the Forsyth County Water and Sewer Department.
The Water Smart Landscapes, Rain Harvesting and Rain Barrel classes will be offered at the Forsyth County Extension Office on Saturday, February 11, 2023, from 10 a.m. to noon; and on Thursday, March 16, 2023, from 2-4 p.m. There is a $25 registration fee, and each class is limited to 15 paid participants. There is also a limit of one rain barrel per household. For registration information, please visit the UGA Extension Forsyth County website at https://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/forsyth.html and click on the “Now Registering” tile. Please check out our Food Gardening Large and Small classes, too.