DATE: Friday, June 6, 1997                  TAG: 9706050249

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 03   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DOUG BEIZER, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   50 lines

DONATIONS OF EQUIPMENT, LABOR HELP WITH WATER CONSERVATION

Donations of equipment and labor to a Virginia Beach apartment complex will help conserve water one flush at a time.

Last month Roto Rooter installed 30 low-flow toilets at Williams Village apartments off Witchduck Road. The new toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush, which saves 3.4 gallons per flush over the old fixtures. The project's coordinators, the Hampton Roads Water Efficiency Team and the Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities, estimate the project will save about 450,000 gallons of water per year.

``This is an important project because Virginia Beach has a limited water supply,'' said Bob Montague, water conservation coordinator for Virginia Beach. ``We rely on Norfolk for our water. Supplies are limited for Hampton Roads in general, not just Virginia Beach.''

Virginia Beach began a water management training program for apartment building managers in 1994 that is offered once a year to several complexes. Williams Village, a 90-unit subsidized housing community, went through the program in the first year. And while it was able to reduce its water use, funds weren't available to replace the old-model toilets.

They were able to do some repair work in leaky toilets. ``So they were able to reduce their consumption significantly. But they were unable to drastically reduce their consumption by changing fixtures,'' Montague said.

That's when he presented Roto Rooter with the idea of retrofitting part of Williams Village. Roto Rooter was receptive to the idea and began working out details with the city, which conducted a consumption analysis of the property to determine which units should get the new fixtures.

Montague stressed that working with local businesses is the most effective way to achieve water conservation goals.

``For years we've stressed the conservation message to residents,'' he said. ``But I think it's important when you're trying to build a water conservation ethic, that you get everyone involved. Roto Rooter's effort in this project is a great example to other business on how to get involved in conservation.''

The Roto Rooter on Witchduck Road coordinated the project with help from its corporate division, which supplied the toilets and paid for the work crew.

``We were looking to get involved in community projects,'' said Dwayne Jefferson, a division manager.

The company provided a crew of four workers plus Jefferson to perform all the labor. All 30 toilets were installed in less than a day.

For Jefferson, the project was a natural fit for his company.

``Water conservation is a big issue now; it's important to everybody,'' he said. ``And we felt like it was something we'd like to get involved in. It was a great feeling to be giving a little back.''

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu