Following a summer of water curtailment and worries of water shortages in Banks in 2021, this summer has been a milder season so far. With fixes in place to help address some of the city’s water infrastructure, 2022 could be a kinder year for the city, which maintains its own water supply. In response to a public records request by the Banks Post, the city of Banks said the following businesses, which include apartment complexes, used the most water in 2021.
1. Hampton Lumber
Coming in at the top spot, Hampton Lumber is the number one commercial user of water from Banks’ water system with 479,420 cubic feet of water used in 2021.
2. Banks School District
The Banks School District also augments their water with their own well, so their place at number 2 on this list doesn’t necessarily reflect the total amount of water the district’s buildings and grounds use. The district used 375,440 cubic feet of water in 2021.
3. Arbor Village
Arbor Village comes in at number three with 284,440 cubic feet of water used in 2021.
4. Quail Hollow Apartments
The residents of Quail Hollow Apartments on the city’s eastern edge used 209,914 cubic feet of water in 2021.
5. Oak Village
Oak Village Shopping Center—that’s Main Street Pizza, Subway, Coffee Country and the other businesses located adjacent to Jim’s Market—used a total of 141,890 cubic feet of water in 2021.
6. Lepschat Apartments
The residents of Lepschat Apartments on Wilkes Street used 106,595 cubic feet of water in 2021.
7. City of Banks
The city itself is a major user of water, with several buildings, parks, and other water needs in and outside city limits. In 2021, this local government used 71,540 cubic feet of water.
8. US Bank
The US Bank branch across from Jim’s comes in at number 8, but this business is the most aggressive water user on this list that isn’t a resource based business like the sawmill or a multi-use facility like Oak Village or an apartment complex. In 2021, the only bank in Banks was billed for 66,829 cubic feet of water, or about twice that of the largest residential water user in city limits.
9. Jim’s Market
Jim’s Market, the city’s only grocery store, used just a smidge less than the last entry, clocking in at 66,690 cubic feet of water in 2021.
10. Sunset Laundry
It’s no surprise that Sunset Laundry made the list, given the nature of this business. As a side note, Sunset Laundry is no longer a 24-hour laundromat as of July 1. Those looking to launder their clothes will need to visit from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. While there, take a seat and watch those washing machines turn; in 2021, they swirled 61,580 cubic feet of water as they cleaned the local laundry.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Banks Post and sister news publications the Gales Creek Journal and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
