Why Should I Conserve Water?
When you use less water in your home you will see a noticeable savings on your water and energy bills over the course of a year.
When you conserve water, you are helping to ensure that existing capacities in the water and wastewater systems are used efficiently and that more people can be served. Water conservation can reduce the need to build new and costly water and wastewater treament facilities, and keep your rates as low as possible.
When you conserve water you help to ensure that there is enough water to sustain future growth. Approximately 68% of our water comes from aquifers deep in the earth. These aquifers are showing signs of localized stress. Excessive withdrawals from the aquifer can impact surface water levels and local natural features. Water conservation is the responsibility of everyone, do your part.
Where Can I Conserve Water?
In Your Bathroom
Toilets - Use the toilet only for its intended purpose, solids thrown into a toilet must be removed in the treatment process, that costs you money. Place a brick or sandfilled plastic bottle in the toilet tank to use less water per flush. Replace pre-1993 toilets with new low -flow toilets (1.6 gallons per flush).
Bathing - You can take shorter showers. You can wet down, turn the water off, soap up, then turn the water back on to rinse off. You can install a low-flow showerhead.
Faucets - You should turn the water off when you are shaving, washing your hands, and brushing your teeth and turn it back on whehn you need it. You can install a low-flow faucet (2.5 gallons per minute).
In Your Kitchen
Dish Washing - Fill both basins of a split sink to hand wash and rinse dishes, or rinse very sparingly.
When using a dishwasher wash only full loads not several partial loads, and use shorter cycles whenever possible.
Garbage Disposal - Compost as many food wastes as possible. This can save water usage and power consumption, and can reduce the amount of solid wastes that must be removed from wastewater during the treatment process.
In Your Laundry Room
Clothes washing - Wash full loads rather than several partial loads whenever possible. If you are doing a small load of laundry you should select a lower water volume setting.
In Your Yard
Yard & Lawn Care - You should not over-water your lawn or garden, healthy grass requires 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week, including rainfall and watering. Water your lawn and garden in the morning when less water is lost to evaporation. Direct rain from your downspouts to your lawn and garden rather than to your driveway, sidewalk or street. Cut grass to 2.5 to 3 inches so it won't dry out as rapidly. Don't use water to clean your driveway, sidewalk, porch or deck, use a broom instead.
Car Washing - Use water sparingly. Wash at a commercial self-car wash that recycles wash water. Use a bucket to wash your car at home, rather than letting the hose run continuously. Utilize a nozzle to restrict water flow and significantly reduce water use. Wash your car on the lawn to keep water from flowing down the driveway where it can run to a storm drain.
