Conservation is about all of us

Practicing conservation requires a change in behavior. What we save today, will have an impact on our children tomorrow. From turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth to taking showers instead of baths, these simple daily changes can save hundreds of dollars over the course of a year on your water bill. More importantly, they will help save our natural resources and protect our environment for the future. From our lakes and streams to fish and wildlife, water is no more a luxury of plenty. Education plays a vital role in conservation. That is why each year we include a conservation section in our newsletter to help encourage our customers to make conservation a way of life.

Did you know…..Installing restrictive shower and faucet heads can save up to 50% of water used? …..In the average home, 2/3 of all water used indoors is used in the bathroom?…..Toilets use 33% of that indoor usage?…..The average person uses 80 gallons of water a day?…..The average family, 165 gallons per day?

Please use the following tips to help you do your part to conserve water.

Lawn Care:

  1. When mowing, use a mulching blade and leave grass clippings on your lawn. Grass clippings contain water and nitrogen which help keep your lawn green.
  2. Water only when needed. Most lawns need only one inch of water per week to stay healthy even during the hottest summer months.
  3. Water in the early morning to minimize evaporation and allow the water to soak to the roots.
  4. Do not water when it is windy out.
  5. Aerate your lawn in the spring to help loosen the soil and allow water to soak to the roots of the grass more easily.
  6. Use a sprinkler system that has a timer to better monitor your watering.

Garden Care:

  1. Use plants that do not require much watering during the summer. (Stop by the District to see our water wise garden for examples.)
  2. Use mulch in your soil around your plants. 1″-2″ of mulch will help moisture stay in the soil and allow you to water less often.
  3. Water slowly enough to allow water to soak into the soil and not create run-off.
  4. Set sprinklers to water only areas you want watered. Avoid watering sidewalks and driveways.

Indoor Care:

  1. Use flow restrictive shower and faucet heads.
  2. Turn your faucet off while shaving and brushing your teeth.
  3. Check for leaks in all your faucets and toilets. Repair as necessary.
  4. Replace your old toilet with a new water efficient model. Older model toilets use 5-7 gallons per flush. New low consumption toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush.
  5. Use full loads in your dishwasher and washing machine. 1/2 loads use just as much water as a full load with only half the benefit.

Miscellaneous:

  1. Use a broom to clean off driveways and sidewalks, not your hose.
  2. Use a hose with a shut-off nozzle to wash your car.

Did you know:

  1. An average leaky faucet can lose as much as 2000 gallons a year.
  2. A leaky toilet can lose up to 200 gallons a day costing an additional $54.00 per month at our highest rate tier.
  3. Leaving your water running while brushing your teeth wastes 5 gallons per minute.
  4. 50%-70% of household water is used outside to water lawns and gardens.
  5. Only 1% of the world’s water is drinkable.
  6. A person can live about a month without food, but only about a week without water.

Visit the Saving Water Partnership website to learn how you can further help conserve water as well as take advantage of money saving incentives and rebates offered by the Partnership.