From a release | Photos by Dan McDermott
10:03 pm EDT August 31, 2023
After issuing mandatory water restrictions to aid in conservation efforts on Friday, the Town of Woodstock is backing up those words with actions by using its pool water to complete a project that was going to be delayed until those restrictions were lifted.
Due to current drought conditions and reduced river water flow up and down the Shenandoah Valley, the Town of Woodstock began mandatory water restrictions for all non-essential water activities beginning Friday. However, when faced with having to bump back a project that was going to require roughly 4,000 gallons of water per day to complete, they decided to think outside of the box.
“After evaluating the last eight days of the pool schedule and the dropping temperatures next week, we realized there was an opportunity to use the water that would otherwise evaporate to complete the resurfacing of the tennis, pickleball and basketball courts,” said Town Manager Aaron Grisdale. “I’m proud of our staff for thinking of an innovative solution, keeping this project moving forward, and considering the needs of the broader community with this idea.”
The Town is committed to demonstrating the importance of water conservation efforts and is leading the way with this project and other measures such as taking down the Main Street flower baskets which need to be watered every other day, reducing the watering of other town landscaping, delaying its fire hydrant flushing program, and limiting its other nonessential use of water during this time.
“Our vehicles may look a little dusty until we get a significant amount of rain,” said Director of Public Works Josh Burner, “but the North Fork of the Shenandoah River is our community’s water source, so it’s important that we do what we can to mitigate the impacts of this drought.”
Residents are also required to participate in conservation measures, which means violators are subject to penalties as established by the Town Code Section 82-70 and 82-71. Activities that are impacted by the water restrictions include, but are not limited to, washing or spraying of paved areas, vehicles, and equipment; filling of swimming pools or operating ornamental water features; watering of landscaping in excess of five gallons per day; and other activities deemed nonessential for business purposes or human hygiene.
Residents are encouraged to go beyond the areas of mandatory water conservation and take small individual measures to help reduce water use. These actions can include taking shorter showers, avoid running the faucet while shaving or brushing teeth, only using a dishwasher when it is fully loaded, mowing lawns to three inches or higher and leave clippings in the lawn, and washing only full loads of laundry. These types of small individual actions can make a significant difference across the entire town water utility system. Additional water smart practices can be found at https://www.epa.gov/watersense/start-saving.
Additional information is available on the Town’s website www.townofwoodstockva.gov or at the Woodstock Municipal Office, 135 N. Main Street, Woodstock, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, 540-459-3621.
