ALBUQUERQUE, June 14  –  Water customers so far in 2012 have used less water than during the same period last year,  the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority reported today.

Overall use for the first five months of 2012 was 11.5 billion gallons, compared to 12.3 billion gallons for the first five months of 2011.  May usage was up slightly from last year, however, with 3.5 billion gallons consumed as compared to 3.3 billion gallons last year.

“That rise in the May numbers is a reminder that we need to keep conservation in mind as we head into the hottest part of the summer,” said Katherine Yuhas, the Water Authority’s Conservation Officer.  “Don’t forget to Water by the Numbers—just three days a week in June, July and August—and don’t water during the hottest part of the day.  By ordinance, no sprinkler irrigation is allowed between 11 AM and 7 PM.”

Yuhas says following these rules helped the community achieve, three years early, its long-term conservation goal:  Daily usage of 150 gallons per person per day.

“We’re using more than 100 gallons less per person per day than we were in the mid-1990s, which is a terrific achievement,” she said.  “But we don’t want to become complacent.  We must maintain our low usage in order to meet our permit requirements for the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project.”

Yuhas added that a new per capita conservation goal will be unveiled next year following input from the community.  “Until then,” she said, “please keep up the good work!”