Reduce Water Use

• If you still have a five gallons per flush toilet, retrofit your toilet with a 1.6 or less gallons per flush toilet.
• Do not use your toilet as a wastebasket.
• Check your toilets for leaks. Free test kits are available at City Hall.
• Install a low-flow sink faucet or a sink faucet aerator.
• Turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth and shaving.
• Install a On Demand (Tankless or Instantaneous) Water Heater and water and energy.
• Do not let the water run while washing dishes.
• Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator rather than running  the water from the faucet until it is cold.
• Install a low-flow shower head.
• Take shorter showers.
• Run only full loads in your clothes washer and dishwasher.
• Always look for WaterSense label when shopping for new clothes washer.
• Use water from dehumidifiers to water plants.
• Use water used for food prep to water plants.
• Fill a pitcher when waiting for water to turn hot or cold and use the water to water your plants.
• Water early in the morning to minimize evaporation.
• Never water faster than the ground can absorb the water.
• Know your soil and its watering needs.
• Next time you water, place several empty tuna cans at varied distances from the sprinkler; the time it takes to fill the cans is about how long you should water your lawn.
• Adjust automatic irrigation schedules at least monthly to ensure water use efficiency.
• Step on the grass, if it springs back up when you move your food, it does not need water.
• Arrange plants in your garden by light and watering needs.
• Consider drip irrigation systems around trees and shrubs. Drip systems permit water to flow slowly to roots, encouraging strong root systems; these systems will also cut down evaporation.
• Adjust sprinklers to avoid watering sidewalks and driveways.
• Collect rainwater in a barrel for watering your lawn and plants.
• Cut grass no shorter than two inches to reduce evaporation and promote deep root growth.
• Use shut-off nozzles on hoses.
• Aerate your lawn as needed.