Just one week into city ordered mandatory water restrictions, officials are confounded that usage has actually increased over the daily averages from earlier in the month. However, a similar emergency-level spike in electric usage – reported just late yesterday afternoon by Texas power grid management agency (ERCOT) – might point to a common point of concern.
While the city is pointing to leaks, cracked water mains and the possibility that users aren’t familiar with the new rules, the HOUmanitarian has noticed that ERCOT is speculating that electricity demand increase is connected to Texas schools reopening. The adding of more air conditioning systems and appliances putting more strain on the statewide grid.
It would seem reasonable that as schools reopen they too have water infrastructure that has not been used in a while, nor tested at the level students will put it through. This writer remembers unnecessarily extended bathroom breaks to avoid unwanted classroom encounters. Not to mention delinquents attempting cherry-bomb pranks in the boys bathroom toilets. Could all these things be feeding into water main breaks elsewhere in the system?
Perhaps we need to be adding some conservation curriculum into the first days of school. Particularly if we are going to be mandating schools open earlier in the year. Hey Texas Education Board, lets add “resources” to the three-R’s.