Most Berea households receive their water from Berea Municipal Utilities (BMU), a city-owned utility overseen by the city council. On an average day, BMU treats more than two million gallons of water, pumped mainly from Owsley Fork reservoir, which is located six miles southeast of Berea.

The average Kentucky household receiving municipal water service uses about 70 gallons per person per day for indoor use. This is almost identical to use by the average U.S. household, which can be broken down as follows:

Water is absolutely essential to household well-being. The strategy for ensuring adequate flows of water and increasing the ability of the household to function during periods of disruption of the municipal water supply includes: 1. Modifying fixtures, appliances and behaviors to reduce the amount of water necessary to run the household, 2. Capturing rainwater to replace the need for some municipal water, and 3. Storing emergency water supplies for use during short-term cut-offs of the municipal supply. Actions in these three areas can reduce household water use by 50% with no decrease in comfort, while reducing demand on the municipal system (and reducing the need for a costly new reservoir), while greatly increasing the resilience of the household.

If you are eager to get started, rain barrels are available through Sustainable Berea along with instructions on their installation and use. Low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators can be purchased at local hardware stores. If you are considering low-flush toilets, look for the U.S. EPA’s WaterSense label. The labeling associated with Energy Star qualified clothes washers will include a Water Factor (gallons of water used per cubic foot of capacity).

For more details on home water conservation, see the Resilient Household Project Water Page and Sources of Additional Information.