THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 9, 1996 TAG: 9606070203
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER BENNETT, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 99 lines
Providing a place to shower can be one of the best resources a shelter can provide the homeless. It also can, in turn, become one of the shelter's greatest expenses.
And in a city short on water resources, it can become an easy target for conservation efforts.
That's what led Wanda Cooper, water conservation coordinator at the Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities, to help the Judeo-Christian Outreach Shelter reduce its water usage.
Months of private-public coordinating by Cooper paid off when installation of a new hot water system was completed last week at the shelter, on Virginia Beach Boulevard near Birdneck Road.
And it all came at no cost to the shelter, thanks to Joe Davis of Details by Davis, a local company that installs hot water distribution systems, and Larry K. Acker, president of ACT Inc., Metlund Systems, the Newport Beach, Calif., manufacturer of the product Davis installs. Acker agreed to donate the necessary units if Davis was willing to contribute his labor for free. He was.
Over the last two weeks, a Metlund Hot Water Demand System was installed in the bathroom of the men's facility and a second system was placed in the building housing both the women's facility and shelter office. Robbie Alexander, a local electrician, joined the effort with his wiring expertise. Tim Noell assisted Davis, sometimes until midnight, testing the mechanism.
``We're making a contribution to the shelter in order to help them cut utility costs,'' Davis said. ``All costs - water, electricity and sewage.''
The new system feeds cold water, which people often let run down the drain while it warms up, back into the distribution device instead of allowing the unused water to go to waste. In addition, hot water reaches the tap within 25 seconds, Davis explained. Recirculating the unused water, or runoff, can amount to about 15 percent in savings, according to the manufacturer. But because water usage varies from household to household, overall advantages are difficult to assess. None of the parties involved has any doubt about whether the homeless community would benefit.
Bobby, a 36-year-old shelter resident and recovering heroin addict, said that even people who don't live there use the showers. He knows. He said he has invited them.
Shelter Executive Director Richard Powell agreed. ``Our water bill is extraordinary,'' he said. ``The big thing is we're going to save money with this system.''
This effort represents the city's commitment to resolving community problems before they escalate out of control, Cooper added.
The Department of Public Utilities also is supplying the shelter with seven new state-of-the-art shower heads and through its rebate program, providing the same number of low-flow toilets, Cooper said. Both are designed to utilize less water. The department has facilitated numerous joint efforts between businesses and government.
``We believe in public-private partnership to help save water versus finding people to take them to court,'' she said. The shelter project is one such partnership.
Having discussed the shelter's needs with Powell, Davis customized a system for the large home, he said. Both Davis and Powell realized that with so many people utilizing the showers at the facility installing an on/off switch for hot water wasn't a practical option.
``I got 34 men living back there,'' Powell said. ``I could tell Bobby, `Everytime you shower press the button,' but how about the 33 others?''
In response, Davis engineered what he calls an ``optic trigger'' that hangs atop the bathroom door. When someone enters the room, the sensor automatically turns on the hot water system. By the time that person reaches the sink or shower, the water should be hot, he said. Since people will not run water to make it hot, they will conserve it. The unit shuts off when the water gets hot.
Richard Matthew, long-term resident and men's dorm supervisor, has his own bathroom. Therefore, he operates the system from his room with a wireless remote control unit.
A similar device in the women's building also will be triggered by a sensor. In the office, staff will push a button to control the same system.
While it will take a few months to calculate the actual savings, Cooper already is celebrating the success.
Virginia Beach residents remain under restrictions on outdoor water use. They are banned from using running hoses to wash cars or irrigate their lawns with city water. Citizens are limited to using small buckets of water at a time on such outdoor tasks.
The conservation measures also ban any hookups to city water for new development, both residential and commercial, unless such permission was grandfathered into prior agreements.
The restrictions, which began in 1992, will remain in place until the Lake Gaston pipeline is operational, which is now scheduled for 1998.
``The days of spraying water hoses are done,'' Cooper said. ``We are trying to work to save our most precious resource - water.''
And saving every little bit - including showers at the homeless shelter - really adds up.
``Use only what you need,'' Cooper added as a plea to all residents. ``We'll never have enough water to waste.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Wanda Cooper, Department of Public Utilities water conservation
coordinator, shows a water-saving device that Joe Davis of Details
by Davis installed at the Judeo-Christian Outreach Shelter. ``We're
making a contribution to the shelter in order to help them cut
utility costs,'' Davis said. by CNB