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<br />leak detection surveys, repair leaks, and to do water audits to determine <br />losses. <br /> <br />Cost Benefit: A Town leak survey costs around $20,000. Leak repairs cost <br />the Town around $50,000 for all the leaks discovered in a survey. It <br />preserves the capacity of the system for the future and eliminates the need <br />for expensive expansions. It also reduces costs for the Town. <br /> <br />6. Dissemination of infonnation <br /> <br />The Town has water conservation pamphlets and other related information <br />in a display rack at Town Hall and at Public Works in the office entrance <br />areas. In 2003 the Town distributed water conservation infonnation with <br />the drought restrictions that includes measures to save water by mailing it <br />to most of the customers and by posting it on most of the doors of the <br />customers. The Town regularly includes water conservation information in <br />the periodic Town Bulletin that is mailed to most of the customers and <br />most of the Post Office boxes. The new billing software now make it <br />possible to include a water conservation message on every bill sent out for <br />the two month billing cycle. <br /> <br />Cost Benefit: Mailing and printing cost were about $3000 for the drought <br />infonnation. The customer knows what to expect when drought <br />restrictions become necessary. The customer receives infonnation that is <br />timely, practical, and can be put to use immediately. <br /> <br />7.Water rate structures <br /> <br />In 2001 the Town adopted a revised water ordinance that primarily <br />changed the water rate structure to encourage water conservation inside <br />and outside. The minimum allowed during the two month billing cycle <br />was lowered to 12,000 gallons per SFE and the excess fee for use greater <br />than the minimum was raised to $230 per 1000 gallons per SFE. Also, the <br />minimum was effectively lowered for non-residential (commercial) by <br />basing the minimum on meter size instead of SFEs. This was done <br />especially to encourage restaurants to conserve water. To date this has <br />resulted in bringing to the attention of many customers the need to take <br />measures to reduce the use of water and to fix leaks, especially for toilets. <br />Many of the high water bill complaints received by the Town of <br />Breckenridge can be traced to leaking toilets. Also, according to <br />Fluidmaster, Inc., a toilet repair company, leaking toilets are the most <br />common cause of high water bills. Also, according to the Washington <br />Suburban Sanitary Commission of Maryland, nine out of ten high water <br />bill complaints can be traced to leaking toilets. A permit and a Town <br />provided meter are required for bulk water sales from fire hydrants. Also, <br />