September 2, 2025 - Urgent Request - Water Conservation Notice

Current Water Supply Situation

The Mercersburg Water Authority is requesting all users implement steps to help with the reduction of the daily water demand on the Authority’s system.  The ongoing water supply challenges are primarily due to a significant lack of rainfall over the past month. This dry spell has had a notable impact on the storage and processing capacity of the existing filtration plant at the Buck Run reservoir and wells. The Buck Run Facility is currently able to supply between 160,000 and 180,000 gallons per day (gpd) to the reserve storage tank.  The demand on the Authority’s system has recently increased to 200,000 up to 220,000 gallons per day (gpd).  This highlights the importance of ongoing conservation efforts and careful management of available water resources.

Tips on how to Conserve Water

• Always turn taps off tightly so they do not drip.
• Promptly identify any leaks in and around your taps for repair. (One leak can waste several thousand gallons of water per year.)
• When brushing your teeth, turn the water off while you are brushing. Use short bursts of water for cleaning your brush. (This saves about 80% of the water normally used.)
• When washing or shaving, partially fill the sink and use that water rather than running the tap continuously. (This saves about 60% of the water normally used.) Use short bursts of water to clean razors.
• Use either low-flow shower heads or adjustable flow-reducer devices on your shower heads. (They reduce flow by at least 25%.)
• Limit shower time as appropriate.
• You can reduce water usage by 40% to 50% by installing low-flush toilets.
• Sweep driveways, sidewalks, and steps rather than hosing off.
• Wash the car with water from a bucket or consider using a commercial car wash that recycles water.
• Use a dishwasher—and when you do, make sure it's fully loaded!
• Scrape your plate instead of rinsing it before loading it into the dishwasher.
• Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.