“Some other things that occurred was that there was a big push for efficient fixtures, such as low-flow showerheads, high-efficiency washing machines and more,” Dickman said. Residents who were high-volume users also saw that reflected in their water bill. “The Hays Police Department actually gives tickets for those who are wasting or misusing water.” Listen to an interview by Samantha Bennett with Holly Dickman and Stacie Minson on the weekday podcast, Agriculture Today “One of the biggest (policies) was the adoption of ordinances that prohibited water waste,” such as watering landscapes in the middle of the day, Dickman said. “The city relies on those water sources for drinking water and more, so you get a little concerned when there’s no rainfall and the well levels begin to fall.”ĭickman said drought conditions in the 1990s forced the city’s leaders to adopt several water conservation strategies to preserve what water was available.

“So, you can imagine that if it doesn’t rain, those rivers and creeks aren’t running quite as much as they would be and so our well levels can decline,” she said. Holly Dickman, a water conservation specialist with the City of Hays, said the nearly three-decade-old water policies are important because Ellis County relies on groundwater mostly from alluvial (shallow) aquifers around the Smoky Hill River and Big Creek, which flow near the city. – Two water officials in Hays, Kansas say that policies put in place in the 1990s are still paying dividends for a city that is often seen as a model for water-use efficiency. Water Wise: Hays residents meeting challenges of water conservation, quality City pairs with extension to provide support for region’s waterwaysīy Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension news service

said water conservation strategies adoped during the 1990s drought have helped current water conservation efforts.

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