City, MSU join water-saving initiative

The city of Springfield has pledged an overall 10 percent reduction of its water usage.

Springfield’s Public Works department is hoping to cut its usage by 40 percent.

The department will water public grounds using a more efficient method and will irrigate between midnight and 5 a.m. to lessen evaporation. The city’s paved areas will not be washed, and water will be used for dust control on a limited basis.

Reclaimed water from the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant will be used for irrigation and sewer cleaning. The city’s vehicle fleet will be washed less frequently, and the Park Central square fountain has been turned off.

The city’s Police and Fire departments also are joining the effort.

The Fire department will use the minimum amount of water needed for training drills, reduce vehicle washing and engine room cleaning, establish a method for estimating the amount of water used when extinguishing fires, and reduce landscaping irrigation by 10 percent at three stations.

The Police department will limit its car-washing to once a week.

Also on board is Springfield-Branson National Airport, which has committed to reducing its landscaping irrigation by at least 10 percent.

Springfield-Greene County Parks will reduce water usage by at least 10 percent, though fountains at Jordan Valley Park and Founders Park remain on. The fountains’ water is recirculated.

Missouri State University has adopted a plan to cut its water usage by 2 million gallons per month, a 10 percent reduction. The campus’ three fountains have been turned off, and the school will not open its outdoor pool.

The school also will limit irrigation, eliminate vehicle washing, consolidate its summer camp lodging sites, prioritize repairs of plumbing leaks, and reduce the run-time of water-dependent food-service equipment.

Local business and civic leaders will discuss further conservation plans at a public forum at 5:30 p.m. May 11. The Watershed Committee of the Ozarks will hold the forum, “Community Response to Drought and Conservation,” at the Greene County Courthouse, Room 212.