Water Saving Tips

As our community’s needs for water grow and change, the way we value, price and use our water must reflect today’s water reality. Our supplies are becoming tighter, our infrastructure is aging and in need of investment, and our costs to provide service are changing. 

Using water efficiently is the most inexpensive way to make our supplies more sustainable, and it keeps your rates lower over time. Here are some tips to help you use your water wisely.


Saving Water Inside
  • When doing laundry, always wash full loads. Adjust the water level in the washer to the amount needed for the load. In many homes, washing laundry accounts for nearly 25% of indoor use. You can save water by using the proper load size setting on your washing machine.  
  • If washing dishes by hand, fill the sink with water rather than continually running the tap.  
  • Only wash full loads of dishes in the dishwasher.  
  • Avoid using running water to thaw frozen foods. Instead, defrost in the refrigerator overnight.  
  • Check faucets for leaks and fix. A faucet leaking 60 drops per minute will waste about 200 gallons (750 liters) per month. That is equal to 2,400 gallons (9.0 cubic meters) per year. 
  • Turn off the faucet when lathering hands, shaving, or brushing teeth.  
  • If it takes a long time for the hot water to reach the shower, use it as an opportunity to collect water for other uses, such as watering houseplants.  
  • Take shorter showers.  Reducing a 10-minute shower to 5 minutes will save 12.5 gallons of water (47.3 liters) if the shower-head has a flow rate of 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) per minute, and even more if the shower-head has a higher flow rate.  
  • Fact: A typical shower-head flows at 2.5 gallons per minute or less. The average shower in the United States consumes 17 gallons and lasts just over 8 minutes. 
  • If you have an older toilet it is likely using 5 to 6 gallons of water per flush. Put plastic bottles filled with pebbles and water in the tank to lower water use by raising the waterline. Make sure the water level is not too high, the fill valve is working properly, and the flapper is not leaking. A running toilet can waste hundreds of gallons of water per day.  
  • Install low-flow shower-heads. 
  • Use the bathroom wastebasket, not the toilet, to dispose of trash. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Use water in a glass to rinse your mouth.

Saving Water Outside 

  • Irrigate slowly, deeply, and infrequently to encourage a deeper root system. Add only the amount of water necessary.
  • Do not water on a windy day.
  • Adjust your automatic sprinkler schedule based on the need for water. People that haul a hose for irrigation use less water for irrigation because of closer control of water use.
  • Check for leaks in pipes, hoses, and faucets.
  • Plant drought-resistant trees and plants.
  • Place a good layer of mulch around trees and plants. Mulch will slow evaporation of moisture and discourage weed growth.
  • Incorporate organic material into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil before planting to develop a strong root system that requires less water.
The best time to water is early in the day. After 10 a.m., evaporation robs the soil of moisture so any watering that you do after that time doesn't get absorbed efficiently. Also, water droplets combined with the presence of hot sun create a magnifying effect that can actually burn blades of grass.