Water Conservation Tips

As a result of hot and dry conditions coupled with unprecedented high water demands, West Sound Utility District is reminding residents and businesses to consider conservation measures by reducing or eliminating non-essential water use. It is critical that everyone works together to ensure that there is enough water for critical services and needs. Please take a look at our recommended conservation tips (link to below). Small steps can add up to make a big difference. Remember, every drop counts.

 

In the Bathroom:

  • Turn off the running water while you brush your teeth (save 1 to 5 gallons of water per minute).
  • Turn off the water while shaving. Fill the sink with a little water and rinse your razor in that (save 1 to 5 gallons of water per minute).
  • Install low-flow shower heads and toilets (save 1 to 5 gallons of water per minute). Take shorter showers. You can save 2 to 10 gallons for every minute you cut back. Or take a shallow bath instead (short showers with a low-flow head uses less water than a bath).
  • Get running toilets fixed. A running toilet can use as much as 30 to 500 gallons of water per day. If the toilet handle frequently sticks in the flush position letting water run, replace it or get it fixed.
  • Check your toilets for leaks. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If the coloring begins to appear in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately. Even a small leak can waste thousands of gallons a month.
Cartoon water faucet with dripping nose

In the Kitchen:

  • Don’t use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food in the fridge or use the defrost setting on your microwave.
  • Rinse vegetables and fruits with a sink full of clean water rather than running the water the whole time.
  • Don’t run the faucet to get cold or hot water. Keep a bottle or pitcher of drinking water in the fridge instead of running the water to cool it. Heat water in the microwave.
  • When washing dishes by hand, don’t keep water running. Use sinks full of water to wash and then rinse.
  • Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run over them while you scrape.
  • Reuse the water left over from cooking foods like pasta and vegetables to water house plants.
  • Run only full loads of dishes in your dish-washing machine (save up to 15 gallons of water per load).
Cartoon washing machine with big smile

In the Rest of the House:

  • Run only full loads of clothes in your washing machine (save up to 23 gallons of water for every load you don’t run).
  • Use high-efficiency appliances if possible.
  • Get leaky faucets and pipes fixed. A small drip can waste up to 2,700 gallons per year.
Cartoon hose giving two thumbs up

Outdoor Watering:

  • Limit or eliminate lawn watering. If you must water do so after 10 p.m. or before 10 a.m. to avoid evaporation.
  • Keep sprinklers from watering pavement. Position them so that water lands on the lawn and shrubs.
  • Treat brown spots in the lawn with the hose instead of running the entire sprinkler system.
  • Wash your car at a commercial car wash that recycles its water (look for the automatic drive-through car washes, the manual ones often don’t recycle water). Or use a bucket and/or hose with an automatic shut off nozzle at home.
  • Don’t hose down your driveway. Sweep it instead.
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