Water Conservation Tips

Simple Ways to Reduce Your Use

Indoor Water-Saving Tips

• Turn off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth or doing dishes – saves 2 gallons per minute.
• Take shorter showers with high-efficiency showerheads. Each minute you cut saves 2.5 gallons.
• Operate your clothes and dishwashers with full loads only; even if the machine has an adjustable load setting.
• Detect leaks. Do you hear the toilet running or your faucet dripping? Contact your local water agency for information on locating your water meter and detecting plumbing leaks using meter readings. Conduct a dye-test in toilet tanks to identify silent leaks.
• Install aerators on bathroom/kitchen sinks to reduce water use by 4%.
• Replace your old toilet, the largest water user inside your home. High-efficiency toilet models flush at 1.28 gallons or less compared to older models, which use up to 7 gallons per flush. Rebates are available.
• Replace your clothes washer, the second largest water user in your home. High efficiency clothes washers can reduce water and energy use by 40%. Bay Area water agencies offer cash rebates for the purchase of select high-efficiency clothes washers.

Outdoor Water-Saving Tips

• Use BAWSCA’s Water Calculator to optimize your irrigation schedule and keep your garden thriving while saving water.
• Adjust your ET controller settings for the season.
• Some small changes to your lawn’s watering schedule and maintenance can make a BIG difference in your water use! Visit our Lawn Care Drought Survival Guide for more information on how you can reduce your lawn’s water use and better manage your landscaping to help your lawn survive the drought.
• Reduce outdoor watering needs by planting species appropriate for the Bay Area’s dry climate. Rebates are available through the Lawn Be Gone! Program.
• Water during the cool part of the day. Reduce evaporation by watering lawns and plants only at night or early morning before dawn.
• Use a broom to clean sidewalks and pavement instead of a hose.
• Check your sprinkler heads regularly to make sure they work properly. Repair broken, crooked or sunken heads and clogged nozzles.