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Committed To Water Safety, Reliability,
Security Each year, OUC delivers nearly 30 billon gallons of water to more than 120,000 customers across a 200-square-mile territory. We treat the water with great care to ensure its safety and enhance its quality. We also perform nearly 20,000 chemical and bacteriological tests on 10,000 samples of water annually, far more than required. The results of this rigorous testing continually confirm that OUC's water meets or exceeds the standards in place to protect consumers. A Naturally Clean Water Source OUC's water comes from the Lower Floridan Aquifer, an underground reservoir literally a quarter of a mile below the earth's surface in many places. The Aquifer is fed by rainwater that is filtered through hundreds of feet of rock, undergoing a natural cleansing process. Using Ozone To Produce Great-Tasting Water OUC uses ozone treatment to produce the great-tasting tap water we proudly call H2OUC. Ozone offers several advantages. As a strong oxidant, ozone removes hydrogen sulfide (a naturally occurring compound that can create an unpleasant taste and odor) and leaves the water with a fresh taste and sparkling appearance. As a powerful disinfectant, ozone greatly reduces the amount of chlorine we have to add to the water, which improves the taste even more. Since 1995, OUC has converted four of its water plants to ozone treatment, built three new ozone plants and begun partial ozone treatment at another plant. By early 2004, all eight of OUC's water plants will be using full ozone treatment. As required by law, we still add chlorine to our water to maintain its high quality as it flows through pipes to customer taps. To promote healthy teeth, we add just the right amount of fluoride. We also add sodium hydroxide to prevent copper and lead from leaching into drinking water from customers' own plumbing, the primary source of these elements in our area. Securing Our Water Facilities While our water plants were equipped with modern security systems well before September 11, 2001, we moved quickly to enhance the protection of our facilities in late 2001 and early 2002. An unsubstantiated threat against the community's water supply in the spring of 2002 led to even more safeguards. All OUC water plants are equipped with intrusion-detection systems, alarms, cameras and security fences around the perimeter of the properties. The plants are patrolled regularly by armed security guards and law enforcement officers. Please be assured that OUC remains vigilant in monitoring and protecting our water facilities. The safety of your water is our highest priority. Award-Winning Operations Our water distribution employees continue to earn industry recognition for bringing a high level of quality and professionalism to their work. For the sixth consecutive year, OUC won an Outstanding Distribution Award from the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association. OUC's water distribution employees oversee and maintain more than 1,600 miles of water pipeline. We also won AWWA's Water Conservation Award for Excellence for a new OUC program that greatly accelerated the detection and repair of customer water leaks. In its first seven months, the program helped 159 residential and commercial customers save more than 170 million gallons of water. OUC Water Named Central Florida's Best Earlier this year, an independent panel of judges selected OUC's drinking water as the best in Central Florida based on taste, clarity, color and smell. Water utilities from across the region were invited to participate in the "blind" testing, which maintained the anonymity of the suppliers. The competition was conducted by the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA). Protecting Our Water Resources OUC is planning carefully for the long-term protection of our community's water resources. Helping our customers conserve water has become a top priority, as has the process of identifying customer water leaks. In 2002, we restructured commercial irrigation rates to encourage more efficient use of water, much like we did with residential water rates the year before. In our permit renewal from the St. Johns River Water Management District, OUC has pledged to maintain our groundwater withdrawal allocation at the same level for the next 20 years. To accomplish this, OUC intends to work with the City of Orlando to expand the use of reclaimed water for irrigation purposes. Meanwhile, we'll continue promoting conservation at every turn. By taking these actions, OUC is demonstrating its commitment to prolong and protect Central Florida's valuable groundwater resources. These actions will also save our customers money by delaying a switch to more expensive alternative water supplies, such as surface water or desalinated water. Conservation Guidelines Everyone needs to take an active role in conservation. When you save water, you not only help the environment, you also lower your monthly utility bill. To use water more efficiently, please follow these important watering guidelines: Irrigation
Inside Your Home
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