Wise Water Words - Volume 51, Issue 1 (Spring 2014)
Mentoring Q&A
By Mary Poe [Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services]Kirk Stocker is the Director of Utilities for the City of Kearney and serves as a mentor for the Section.
Wise Water Words: You are a Nebraska AWWA mentor for water conservation, so tell us what steps you take in the Kearney water system to ensure an adequate supply and to prevent wastefulness.
Kirk Stocker: In order to maintain an adequate water supply, the Water Production Division monitors water consumption very closely, not only on a daily demand basis but also on a peak-hour demand basis. They do this to be sure that the City has enough water to meet the short-term peak demand, which can at times be double the daily demand on an hourly basis.
Also, to keep up with the cost of compliance with water quality regulations and to increase capacity for a growing community, the City evaluates water rates on an annual basis and raises the rates when necessary. In 1994, the City changed its billing philosophy from a declining block rate which included a set number of gallons included in the monthly minimum, to a uniform rate on a cost-of-service basis for all customers. This means that the minimum monthly fee, the price for having water available for use, went down and the cost of the water went up. Customers pay for every gallon of water they use and only for the water they use, which is charged at the same rate for every gallon they use. This means that large-volume residential users pay their fair share and are not being subsidized by lower-volume customers who paid a higher minimum rate which included water they were not using. In addition, the City began billing on a monthly basis rather than every other month, so this has helped residential customers be more aware of how much water they are using.
Water meters and annual evaluation of water rates and monthly billing are a significant factor in water conservation. Water can be wasted if the public water supply system does not utilize meters for billing and does not charge for the true cost of water.
In addition, the Water Production Division issues timely news releases about water conservation and lawn care. This information can also be seen on the City web page.
WWW: It sounds like you're being very proactive about conservation and about educating the public. As you know, one thing that's beyond our control is drought conditions. Have you had to issue water restrictions (either voluntary or mandatory) in dry years? If you have, at what point do you do so?
KS: The City of Kearney has been fortunate, the City has not had to issue water restrictions in the last 30+ years. The City has adequate wells and water storage to have met the demand through the last two years of extreme drought. The City has three full-time employees who maintain our wells, water towers and booster pumps. Major inspections and repairs, if necessary, are performed during the winter. In the summer months ongoing maintenance and monitoring is performed. Equipment failure has not created any emergencies that would lead to water restrictions. Additionally, the City has found that property owners usually have had enough with outdoor maintenance (they are tired of it) by the first week or the middle of August, so water consumption tends to start going down at that time.
WWW: Well, you must be doing things right then. Have you ever been called upon to provide your expertise to another water system?
KS: We do at times get calls about water system policies, leak repairs and water leak damage policies. But most of the calls we get are about products like meters, valves and hydrants, and service line products like curb stops and fittings -– usually asking what our specifications require.
WWW: Thank you for being an AWWA water conservation mentor. What is the best way to get ahold of you if a water system would like your guidance?
KS: The best way to contact me is by phone, 308-233-3268.
