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Ashland water use runs too high for days ASHLAND - City Council action to curb water waste has had little effect, and the city's public works director is getting worried. "We can't go on with above 6 million gallons days and make it to October," Paula Brown said Wednesday. Usage by Wednesday afternoon was at 5.2 million gallons of water, compared to 6.2 million for Monday and Tuesday. Ashlanders used 6 million gallons Friday and Saturday, and 6.1 million Sunday. Water use on a typical winter day is about 2.2 million gallons. "Every time it rains, usage goes way down. It will take a few days to see some kind of trend," said Daryl McVey, water plant supervisor. "We've been talking about this for weeks but we are not seeing conservation measures taken seriously," said Brown. "If it stays hot then we need people to really cut back." Provisions in a city ordinance calling for voluntary cutbacks went into effect on Monday. The council approved them on July 3. Residents are asked to avoid: Irrigating outside plants between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Allowing runoff for more than five minutes. Washing hard outdoor surfaces. Washing vehicles without using a shutoff nozzle. Using water for dust control. Unless water is requested by a customer, restaurants are asked to avoid serving water. Provisions in the water curtailment ordinance give the city administrator authority to implement mandatory curtailment. Consumers pay higher rates for exceeding curtailment limits. Brown said she plans to update the council on the water situation Aug. 7. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.