FORT CARSON, Colo. -- The spigots on 16 old motorpool wash racks will shut off permanently April 1 as part of an effort by the Directorate of Public Works to reduce water and sludge contract costs and push net zero water goal efforts one step further.
Newer Army construction standards for motorpools do not include washracks in their designs -- the older wash racks at these facilities are from the 1960s and 1970s, said Hal Alguire, DPW director.
Closing down the old wash racks not only saves on costs, it also standardizes operations across the installation as new motorpools no longer include them in their footprint.
The cost savings from the effort is substantial.
"Closing these wash racks will easily save Fort Carson over $100,000 a year in maintenance, repairs and water costs," said Vince Guthrie, DPW utility program manager.
Guthrie said surveys identified wash racks as the highest source of water leaks on Fort Carson. He conservatively estimated the installation will save 10 million gallons of water a year, about 1 percent of Fort Carson's total water use, or the equivalent of $40,000 a year due to reduced water leaks.
Units can schedule time at the Central Vehicle Wash Facilities basins, "bird" baths and wash stations for cleaning military vehicles. Fort Carson saves an estimated 60-70 million gallons of water a year through the use of the CVWF through the filtration and reuse of water in the system. Only minor additions of water are needed to make up for evaporation loss.
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