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2. SUPPLY MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES <br />a. Universal Metering: <br />All public water supply utilities should master meter their water sources. In <br />addition, all users, including the utility itself, should be metered. A regularly <br />scheduled maintenance program of meter repair and replacement also needs to <br />be established to ensure that proper metering is taking place. <br />Metering and meter repair and replacement, can be used in conjunction with <br />other programs such as leak detection and repair and, thereby, save significant <br />quantities of water. Nearly all sales in the various entities are metered. Currently, <br />all cities have some form of regular meter repair and replacement program. All <br />production meters for each city are tested yearly. <br />b. Leak Detection and Repair: <br />A continuous leak detection, location, and repair program can be an important <br />part of a water conservation plan. Utility employees for the La Porte Area Water <br />Authority periodically check for leaks when reading meters and while performing <br />regular maintenance. Major leaks are usually quickly detected by either city <br />employees or customers and are repaired immediately. Soil in the area is <br />generally clay and, therefore, leaks show up at the ground surface quite readily. <br />Leak detection technology is also available in the form of electronic sonic devices. <br />c. Recycling and Reuse'. <br />A city or utility should evaluate the potential of recycling and reuse because these <br />methods may be used to increase water supplies in the utility's service area. <br />Reuse can be especially important where the use of treated effluent from an <br />industry or a municipal system or agricultural return flows replace an existing use <br />that currently requires fresh water from a city's or utility's supply. Recycling of in - <br />plant process or cooling water can reduce the amount of fresh water required by <br />many industrial operations. Currently, La Porte has a water reuse program. <br />Because of its size and daily flows, the reuse of treated effluent for processed <br />water has proven quite economical for the City of La Porte. The City of La Porte's <br />Municipal Golf Course along with one of the City parks, Little Cedar Bayou, are <br />irrigated with plant effluent. This reuse program results in a savings of <br />approximately 100,000,000 gallons of potable water per year. <br />7 <br />