Changing small behaviors can help save water Published March 4, 2013 By Paul Woods 82nd Civil Engineering Squadron/DS2 SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- With the local area, including Sheppard Air Force Base, currently in a severe drought, the City of Wichita Falls has declared a Stage 3 Drought Condition going into the hottest part of 2013. Unless rainfall increases dramatically, the local area, as well as Sheppard, will face a Stage 4 Drought Condition that will require a very stringent use of water. Last year, the base saved a considerable amount of water by reducing our sprinkler usage representing almost 30 percent. This year our use of water must be very closely watched and we're going to need everyone's help to make it through the drought conditions. We will continue to reduce sprinkler use as this represents the largest savings on base. What can you do to help? If you see a leak, report it to your building manager. Leaks represent about 10 percent of the usage on base. Correcting them as soon as possible will reduce this amount. Another way to help is to be mindful of the length of your showers. When shaving or brushing your teeth, don't let the water run; only use it when you need to do so. It's important to recognize that small changes in behavior can result in large savings to the base. During the course of this year we will be reporting the results of our water usage to commanders as well as through social media. More information from the City about the Stage 3 Drought go to http://www.wichitafallstx.gov/index.aspx?nid=1552. The City of Wichita Falls has also published "100 Ways to Save Water". For any other information concerning water usage please contact Paul Woods, Resource Efficiency Manager, at 676-2922, or Edward Jordan, base Energy Manager, at 676-2853.