Birch Bay Water and Sewer District

The District, along with other Cities and Districts in Whatcom County, is implementing a voluntary watering schedule from June 15th through September 15th.  During that time, residents with odd numbered street addresses are being asked to limit watering to Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.  The watering days for even numbered street addresses are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  The District has designated Mondays as non-watering days to allow reservoir levels to recover after the weekend. 

The watering schedule will help to reduce the impact of peak-use periods on District water supplies.  During the summer, BirchBay experiences peak demands up to three times higher than the average demand during winter months.  A chief concern during these peak-use periods is maintaining adequate water pressure for basic functions such as toilet flushing and providing water for firefighting.  Outdoor water use accounts for 30 percent of the total average residential water consumption, with most of this usage going for watering lawns and gardens.  Turf grass needs only one inch of water per week - including rainfall - to stay healthy and green, which means that a lot of lawns are getting more water than they actually need.  Traditionally, utilities have built larger and more costly facilities to meet peak period demands.  Ultimately, these costs show up in higher bills for ratepayers.  By reducing the amount of drinking water used for landscape irrigation, the District can diminish the burden on its water supply and defer future facility costs. 

ONE INCH PER WEEK GUIDELINE

The recommended schedule is only a guideline and customers are encouraged to water even less than the suggested three-days a week.  The District is providing free rain gauges to water customers in support of the voluntary watering schedule.  Rain gauges are an inexpensive tool used to measure how much water is being applied to the landscape and to remind customers of the “one inch per week” guideline.                                                                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Rain Gauge