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Water Audit Underway at Peninsula State Park

Peninsula State Park has cut its water use by half in recent years, and is taking steps to improve its water efficiency even more with a water audit.

The park is testing toilets, pipes, and other plumbing to check for leaks and to gauge the plumbing’s water efficiency as part of a pilot project aimed at developing recommendations that can help cut water use and associated costs at this park and others throughout the state system.

“We’ve reduced the amount of water pumped from the ground by nearly 47 percent in the last five years while our park attendance remained above one million annual visitors,” says Chuck Smrz, the park’s utilities specialist. “The reduction in water use represents a significant financial savings and is good for the park’s natural resources, too. I think we can do even better, and the water audit can help us do that.”

Once the contractor conducting the water audit has filed his report, DNR staff will decide which improvements to make immediately at the park and which to add to the long-term facilities plan. The project includes a follow up audit in May 2014 to verify the water savings, Pfeiffer says.