Ramsey Resident - 2012 - November/December

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Water Conservation ăF-PXFS3VN3JWFS8BUFS.BOBHFNFOU0SHBOJwater at the faucet and for energy savings. zation (LRRWMO), which includes all of Ramsey and r5VSOPĈUIFXBUFSXIJMFCSVTIJOHZPVSUFFUI Anoka, as well as portions of Andover and Coon Rap-or shaving. ids, is an organization that seeks to improve and pro-• Use a broom rather than a hose to clean your tect lakes, rivers, streams, groundwater and other water driveway or sidewalk between rain showers. TPVSDFTBDSPTTNVOJDJQBMCPVOEBSJFTăF-338.0Just sweep the dirt and spread over your lawn member communities are located on the Anoka Sand or toss in the trash. Doing this will not only Plain which, as the name implies, is dominated by mostly conserve water but will also keep the dirt from sandy soils. Sandy soils have low water holding capac-entering storm sewers and catch basins. ity, so water used to irrigate yards moves down through r"TQSJOLMFSUJNFSDBOCFTFUUPTIVUPĈZPVS soil and out of the root zone area quickly. Summer lawn TQSJOLMFSBĕFSBTFUBNPVOUPGUJNF watering, especially on sandy soils, increases the amount • Put the water from your downspout to good of water used per day (for example, in Ramsey, water use by catching it in a mosquito-proof rain VTFBMNPTUUSJQMFTUPPWFSNJMMJPOHBMMPOTQFSEBZăFbarrel. Plants love rainwater because it doesn't result is much greater use of non-consumptive water).contain chlorine and is warmer than tap water. As populations continue to grow in the member ăFDJUZPG3BNTFZIBTEFWFMPQFEBXBUFSDPOTFS communities, the demand for water will also grow. Cu-vation tool box that contains information and ideas mulatively, the population of the member communities that can be implemented on residential or commercial of the LRRWMO is forecasted to increase by roughly QSPQFSUJFTăFUPPMCPYDBOCFGPVOEBUXXXDJUZP 13,000 people by the year 2020, putting tremendous framsey.com/environment-water-conservation. pressure on the groundwater supply, or aquifer. As demand for water continues to rise, the aquifer, our cur- Snowplowing rent source of drinking water, will be depleted more and more. While groundwater is replenished by precipitation, ăFXJOUFSTFBTPOJTGBTUBQQSPBDIJOHBOEXFBMM activities such as pumping (wells), increasing impervious LOPXXIBUUIBUNFBOTm4OPXQMPXJOH:PVDBOđOE TVSGBDFT SPBET SPPĕPQT ESJWFXBZT FUD BOEDMJNBUJD NPSFJOGPSNBUJPOPO'SFRVFOUMZBTLFEõVFTUJPOT UIF changes alter recharge rates, and potentially diminish the Mailbox Replacement Policy, City Policy on Snow recharge of aquifers. Continued depletion of the aqui- Removal, Ice Control and Boulevard Staking on the fers could result in the need for communities to explore city website at www.cityoframsey.com alternative options for water, such as drawing from the ăFDJUZPG3BNTFZBMTPIBTBOBĕFSIPVSTTOPX Mississippi River, which would require the construction plow information line at 763-433-9852, which is of water treatment facility. updated and monitored during the snowplow season. Below are just a few examples of quick and easy ideas During regular business hours you can contact the to reduce water use inside and outside: Public Works Department directly at 763-433-9820. • When upgrading appliances, consider air-cooled BJSDPOEJUJPOFST SFGSJHFSBUPST FUDGPSTJHOJđDBOU water savings. r6QHSBEFPMEFSUPJMFUTXJUIMPXĔVTI MPXĔPX models. If your toilet is older than 1995, you can SFUSPđUJUXJUIBUBOLCBTFEEJTQMBDFNFOUEFWJDF • Check with your city to see about getting FREE dye strips. Put them in your toilet to check for leaks into the toilet bowl. While ZPVhSFBUJU đYUIBUMFBLZGBVDFU"MM those drips add up. • Insulate hot water pipes for more immediate hot 10 Ramsey Resident • November/December 2012