Water Conservation

Water Saving Tips for Large Property Owners 

Water Saving Tips:

  • Install a low-flow showerhead and take only a 5-minute shower or 3-inch tub bath. Older showerheads deliver four to five gallons of water per minute. A new, two-and-a-half gallon-per-minute showerhead will reduce your water consumption by one-third to one-half. A typical bathtub holds about 60 gallons. A top-quality, low-flow showerhead will cost $10 to $20 and pay for itself in energy saved within four months.
  • Catch water in a bucket or watering can while waiting for shower water to get hot.
  • Put a water displacement bag or plastic bottle in each toilet tank.
  • Fix leaky toilets, faucets and pipes. Leaky hot water pipes will run up BIG bills. One drip can waste up to 48 gallons of water a week. If it’s a hot water faucet that’s leaking, you’re literally sending your energy dollars down the drain.
  • Flush toilets and use garbage disposal only when necessary.
  • Turn off the water while shaving, brushing your teeth, and lathering in the shower.
  • Run only full loads in dishwashers and washing machines.
  • Use a bucket of water and one short rinse to wash your car.
  • SWEEP, never hose, driveway, patio or sidewalk.

WHY IS WATER CONSERVATION SO IMPORTANT?

Less than 2% of the world's water supply is suitable for drinking; conservation is paramount to the preservation of the earth's existing drinking water supply. Also, Southern California's population continues to grow, but its water supply doesn't. By conserving water you can preserve one of earth’s most natural resources while at the same time saving money.

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?

  1. Lawns - Water your lawn only when it needs it and adjust your sprinklers so that water lands on the lawn and not on the sidewalk. This will save up to 1,700 gallons per month. For more information on Smart Gardening click on http://www.smartgardening.com
  2. Showers - Install water saving showerheads and shorten your showers. Even if you shorten your showers by only 1-2 minutes, you can still save up to 1,500 gallons per month. Take a shower instead of a bath. The average bath, half full of water, uses around 20 gallons of water. However, an average length shower only uses about 13 gallons.
  3. Toilets - Install high efficiency toilets in your home. This will save up to 1,400 gallons per month. For more information on high efficiency toilets click on http://www.toiletology.com/index.shtml
  4. Washing Machines & Dishwashers - Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. This saves up to 800 gallons per month. When using a dishwasher let the dishes air dry instead of heated drying. When possible try not to hand wash dishes. Dishwashers use about 11 gallons of water. Hand washed dishes use up approximately 16 gallons.
  5. For additional information on purchasing EnergyStar energy saving appliances click on to http://www.energystar.gov/
  6. Sweeping - Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks. Doing this once a week will save up to 600 gallons per month.
  7. Faucets - Fix leaky faucets and plumbing fixtures. This will save you 20 gallons a day or for every leak fixed. For an estimate of how much water your leaky faucet is using click on to http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sc4java.html
  8. Car Washing - Don't let the hose run while washing your car. Install a control sprayer; use a bucket of water and a quick rinse at the end. A better idea would be to take your car to an automated car wash that recycles the water. This will save 150 gallons each time you wash your car.

For More Information on California American Water, the City's water purveyor, please click here