CONNECTIONSNews and Information from OUC—The Reliable One | APRIL 2013

INSIDE

If April showers have you contemplating May flowers, bear in mind that at OUC, April is Water Conservation Month. It’s the perfect time to design all of your plantings with water conservation in mind. The return of Daylight Saving Time in March means that lawns can be watered twice a week for up to one hour per zone. Irrigation for odd-numbered addresses is allowed Wednesdays and Saturdays. Watering for even-numbered or no addresses is allowed Thursdays and Sundays.

There are exceptions for new lawns and plantings, which can be watered every day for up to 30 days, but be careful that your sprinklers are not running between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when watering is restricted. And don’t forget to check for broken or damaged sprinkler heads.

Urban vegetable gardens are popping up all over the Orlando area and many are designed with water conservation in mind. Check with your local agricultural extension office for tips on hand-watering, drip irrigation and rain barrels. To learn more about water conservation, visit us at www.ouc.com/water.

Be Waterwise in Your Yard and Garden

Skip the bottled water to celebrate!Choosing to drink tap water not only reduces your carbon footprint, you actually conserve water. OUC’s water is clean, great tasting and available right from your tap. We start with water from the Lower Floridan Aquifer, a well-protected reservoir located hundreds of feet below ground. Before it gets to you, we treat this already high quality water with ozone, the strongest disinfectant available.

Our water sparkles like spring water and is just as fresh and clean tasting.

Kick your bottled water habit by investing in a reusable glass or metal bottle and fill it at home or at the office. It’s cheaper, easier and better for the environment because it keeps disposable bottles out of the landfills. For more information about OUC’s drinking water, go to www.ouc.com under the News and Info tab.

April’s Water Conservation Month

Water Conservation MonthBe Waterwise in Your YardConservation Starts EarlySlow the FlowImportant Address Change

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OUC is teaching the next generation about the importance of conserving and protecting Florida’s water supply through classroom programs such as the Water Color Project and the A.W.E.S.O.M.E. (Alternative Water & Energy Supply; Observation, Methods & Education) Project. We’re encouraging students to use their creativity to promote conservation via the Water Color Project, where elementary students compete to have their artwork featured in an annual calendar and middle and high school students decorate water-themed rain barrels.

The A.W.E.S.O.M.E. Project delivers an interactive lab to fifth grade classrooms where students learn about alternate sources and where their water comes from by building an aquifer.

Slow the FlowFlorida has a limited water supply, so it’s important to conserve water usage both outdoors and indoors. Did you know:

• A pinhole leak can waste up to 360,000 gallons of water a year

• A leaking toilet can use 90 gallons of water in 30 days

• About one in every 20 swimming pools has a leak

• A pool cover can save 1,000 gallons of water a month from evaporating

To watch a video on how to detect leaks, go to www.ouc.com/water. Source: American Leak Detection

Important Address Change if You Pay by MailIf you mail your monthly payments to OUC or utilize online bill pay through your bank, please note the mailing address has changed to: P.O. Box 31329 Tampa, FL 33631-3329

All other correspondence to OUC should be sent to: P.O. Box 3193, Orlando FL 32802

If you use online bill pay through your bank, you will need to update the mailing address with your financial institution.

For more payment options, go to www.ouc.com.

Conservation Starts Early

OUC is currently working to improve our website and automated phone system to provide customers with easier access and more convenient options to manage their OUC accounts. Be sure to watch for upcoming issues of Connections where we’ll highlight the new features and services that will soon be available to you online and over the phone, like storing your bank account information and requesting a payment extension.

Enhanced Online & Phone Services