Fête de la Terre Partner Profile: LUS
We are proud to have LUS on board as a Seedling Partner of Fête de la Terre this year!
Lafayette Utilities System (LUS) has a long and proud history of serving the people of Lafayette. As a public utility, the advantage to customers is low rates, commitment to local communities, not-for-profit operations, public accountability, local decision-making, and a customer service ethic. We like to partner with LUS as they provide their customers with tips and tools for saving energy and managing rainwater.
Energy
The average house emits twice as much greenhouse gases as the average car. In hot and humid south Louisiana, air conditioning accounts for the greatest portion of energy bills. In order to reduce costs, emissions, and energy, LUS strongly suggests that its customers use and install ENERGY STAR-rated equipment and appliances. ENERGY STAR is a program that helps businesses and individuals save money and protect the environment. ENERGY STAR-rated products, ranging from lighting to cooling equipment, are exceptionally energy efficient and a go-to option when you are in need of items that will affect your home or building’s energy use.
Stormwater Management
LUS also has a collaboration with the Lafayette Consolidated Government and the Environmental Quality division of Public Works called the Rain Barrel Program. This collaborative effort promotes on-site stormwater management and water conservation.
Rain barrels are essentially large containers that store rainwater. This Rain Barrel Program helps Lafayette residents in two-ways:
- Saving money on water bills, especially during spring and summer months, by collecting rainwater to be utilized for irrigation purposes.
- Improving water quality by preventing stormwater run-off and pollutants from entering storm drains, coulees, rivers, and eventually our local watershed.
For example, if your grandmother placed a bucket in the backyard to catch rainwater and then used that to water her flowers, this would be considered a small-scale stormwater collection effort. Some communities have collective barrels or large cisterns, or residents can install them at their homes individually.
Orders for a rain barrel through the Rain Barrel Program will be taken through May 5th, 2019 at https://www.greatamericanrainbarrel.com/community/.
Additional tips from LUS for saving water are:
- Water your plants at night or in the early morning
- Don’t leave garden hoses running
- Only run the dishwasher when completely full
- Turn off faucets completely
Leaky faucets have the potential to waste almost 200 gallons of water per year. The sound of water in the background when brushing your teeth can be soothing, but it runs the risk of an increased bill and wasting water at astounding levels. If 200 gallons can come from a leaky faucet, how much water are you wasting every morning and night?
Thanks to LUS’s efforts to educate Lafayette residents about resource efficiency, our citizens are given tools to conserve our natural habitats and way of life.
Post written by Tia Griffin, 3rd year Criminal Justice student and Sustainability & Service student worker