BSU’s favorite New Year’s Resolutions

If you’re compiling a list of News Year’s resolutions, here are half-dozen for your consideration:

1. Patrol for leaks. The New Year is a great time to check your home for water leaks. Dripping faucets can be repaired easily by replacing worn-out washers, a fix that shows a great return on investment, since a faucet that drips at the rate of one drop per second can waste 2,700 gallons of water a year. You’re likely to notice leaky faucets indoors, but don’t forget to check outdoor faucets, pipes and hoses, too.

2. Drink more tap water. Tap water is fresher, cheaper, as good for you – and better for the environment – than bottled water. Bottled water can cost 1,000 times more per ounce than tap water and produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year. The source of bottled water is often difficult to determine and, in fact, up to 40 percent of bottled water actually is bottled tap water.

3. Go paperless. BSU offers its member-customers several electronic options for receiving and paying bills. Bills can be e-mailed each month, allowing immediate access anywhere you check e-mail. Skip writing and mailing a paper check either by paying your bill each month on our website with a credit or debit card, or by enrolling in our automatic bill pay service, which pays your bill automatically each month through a direct-debit charge or an automatic fund transfer from your bank account. To learn more, visit our website at www.BSU.us.

4. Cover that pool. The average backyard swimming pool can lose 5 feet of water a year to evaporation. A pool cover is an effective water and energy conservation device, saving up to 95 percent of the water lost to evaporation. A cover also can reduce heat loss, lower chemical consumption by 35 to 60 percent and save cleaning time by blocking dirt and debris from the water.

5. Donate unwanted cell phones. If you received a new cell phone as a Christmas gift, consider donating your obsolete phone to the Cell Phones for Soldiers program, which turns old cell phones into prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas. Drop unwanted phones at the BSU office at 11860 East Terry Street in the lobby or at the drive-through window, and help U.S. soldiers call home for free.

6. Trim landscaping. Check the backflow-prevention device in your yard to be sure BSU technicians can reach it easily for maintenance. Thirty inches of clearance is ideal. These upside-down U-shaped pipes prevent possible contamination of our drinking water supply by blocking water from flowing backward through water mains. Landscaping softens their visual impact but should be limited to just two or three sides of the equipment.
 
Your board of directors and the employees of Bonita Springs Utilities wish you a Happy New Year. Good luck with those resolutions!