Water Conservation ~ Prineville Leads the Way

Unallocated water is a huge waste of a finite natural resource. This is unaccounted for water that is pumped out of city wells — but then lost to leaks, tank overflows and unmetered customers.
Back in 2008, the City pumped 615 million gallons of water — but lost 171,785,306 gallons. This was 27.9 percent of the total city water supply that year. The Oregon Water Resources Department wanted municipalities total loss to be under 15 percent.
So Eric Klann, city engineer and public works director, got his team working on the problem. They fixed water lines, changed out meters and installed a bulk water fill station to conserve and protect the city’s water supply.
Their efforts paid off. During the calendar year 2015, the unallocated water rate fell to 3.9 percent as reflected in the graph below.
The City of Prineville’s mission statement: “To consistently contribute to Prineville’s reputation as a safe, welcoming, and friendly place to live, work, play and visit.”
The City was established in 1868 and is one of Oregon’s first incorporated cities. The City is located in an ancient volcanic basin where the rim rock plateaus lend their scenic beauty.
The City is now saving 149,805,807 gallons of water per year. (171,785,306 unallocated gallons in 2008 minus 21,979,499 unallocated gallons in 2015.)
“I think it is impressive that the City of Prineville is now pumping significantly less water each year while selling significantly more as compared to 2008. Water is a finite resource and we are absolutely doing our part to conserve it,” said Eric Klann.
Water conservation is important not only for environmental reasons, it also saves energy. Using pumps more efficiently cuts down on the city’s electricity cost — a much more efficient use of taxpayer’s money.
Prineville City Manager Steve Forrester has been balancing the city’s desire to be fiscally responsible while at the same time enhancing and conserving the very things that draw people to Prineville — clean air, abundant water and spectacular recreational opportunities.
“Conserving our water supply, along with our Crooked River Wetlands project, are just two examples of why Prineville is in demand now as a place to locate a business, grow a family and enjoy the outdoors,” said Forrester.