City of Bishop press releases

The City of Bishop will relax one of its mandatory water conservation measures starting 1 November. Starting this weekend and lasting at least into the early spring, watering at all times of the day will be allowed.

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Because of state requirements, the City of Bishop has restricted most outdoor watering to between 5 pm and 9 am during the last year or so of the drought. Nights are getting colder now, which can cause irrigation water to freeze at night.

So, starting 1 November, Bishop water users don’t have to water only at night but can water anytime.

Other mandatory water conservation measures remain in place. The State of California required that the City of Bishop implement water conservation measures to achieve the state-required 25% reduction in water use in 2015 compared to 2013.

The water conservation measures in place in the City of Bishop, including the requirement to water only at night, can be found at http://www.cityofbishop.com/wpcontent/uploads/20150414WaterConservationMeasures.pdf.

In December, the city will have to report to the state how well its users have conserved water. Bishop water users should continue to cut back on irrigation as the fall days get shorter and cooler.

It is easy to keep watering this time of year like the days are still warm and long, but it is time to cut back. Saving water saves money, reduces water rates, protects groundwater, is the right thing to do, and is required by the state. Contact the City of Bishop Department of Public Works at 873-8458 for more information on water conservation and the City’s water system.

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Fall nights are getting longer and cooler so it is time to prepare outdoor plumbing and valves for freezing weather. Freezing can cause expensive damage to pipes and valves.

The damage can be prevented if the plumbing is properly prepared for the cold before it has the chance to freeze. If your outdoor plumbing – such as for a sprinkler system – isn’t prepared soon, you may be asking for trouble.

The best ways to prepare pipes and valves for cold weather is to either drain them or keep them warm with insulation or with heated tape. Most landscaping companies and hardware stores that deal with irrigation and plumbing can help you prepare for the cold weather.

Of all the pipes and valves, special valves called “backflow valves” are especially vulnerable to damage and especially expensive to repair. Although the purpose of these valves is not obvious, it is important that they are in place and functioning properly.

To serve their critical function of protecting the public water supply from contamination, they must function properly. Backflow valves are usually mounted outside near irrigation control valves. Draining, insulating, or heating backflow valves over the winter will protect the valves from damage if it is done properly.

To make sure backflow valves work like they are supposed to, City of Bishop staff test all the backflow valves in the city each year. If the valves don’t function correctly because they froze, they have to be repaired, at the customer’s expense.

For more information contact City of Bishop Public Works at [email protected] or 760-873-8458.

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