Water Conservation Tips & Leak Detection

When watering your lawn, the usage is approximately 600 gallons per hour per spigot. Four hours of watering on two spigots would equate to 4,800 gallons of water used.

Conserve Water
The following are tips to conserve water:
  • Use a broom or blower to clean the driveway and nota water hose.
  • Keep grass 2-3 inches long. Longer blades reduce evaporation.
  • Set sprinklers to water the lawn only, notthe pavement.
  • Use sprinklers that spray low, larger drops rather than high, fine ones.
  • Plant in the spring or fall when plants can benefit from the rain and cooler temperatures.
  • Dig basins around plants to catch water.
  • Water slowly at the roots, not on leaves or foliage to develop deeper roots.
  • Mulch can be organic or inorganic; using 2-6 inches of mulch around plants lessens evaporation.
  • When washing a car, wet car quickly and turn off the hose. Use a bucket full of soapy water to wash the car quickly and rinse.
  • Check your pool system for leaks. Cover to reduce evaporation and keep water level low enough to avoid splashing water out of the pool.
  • Repair or replace leaky hoses and faucets. Place shut-off valves to outside spigots (inside home) to control outside usage.
  • Abide by local watering restrictions while in effect.
  • Washing machines are the largest water user in your home. Usage is 50 gallons or more per load. Wash only full loads.
  • Repair leaks and install water saving device. (Flow restriction faucets)
  • If washing dishes by hand, do not leave the water running.
Leak Detection
  • Add food color or dark colored unsweetened Kool-Aid to toilet tank water ( do not flush) and check bowl in 45 minutes. Any color in the bowl may indicate a leak.
  • Read meter before going to bed and again in the morning before any water is used. Subtract the two numbers to find how much water has been used during the night. Any usage greater than 15 gallons could indicate a leak.