Why Conserve Water?

Water is essential to life on earth. Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD) is surrounded by the Sacramento and American Rivers and has nearly 100 active wells. So why do we need to conserve water?

Our water source is finite. As the population grows, Sacramento’s thirst for water will continue to challenge its limited supply. This limited resource can quickly become scarce if we do not take measures to conserve and protect it.

When you conserve water, it benefits you and our community. Your efforts to improve water efficiency assist in safeguarding drinking water for future generations.

Using the following tips will help you conserve water.

Outdoor

• Water landscaping and plants only when necessary. Do not overwater.
• Water your lawn efficiently up to three times per week in hot weather. During rainy weather, turn off your irrigation timer. Adjust your irrigation timers seasonally to water with the weather.
• Install rain shut off devices to prevent watering when it rains.
• Soil only absorbs a limited amount of water. Avoid runoff by setting automatic sprinklers to provide thorough, but infrequent watering. With manual sprinklers, set a timer to help you remember when to turn off the water.
• Dethatch and aerate your lawn so applied water penetrates to the root zone.
• Use compost or mulch to prevent runoff and to retain moisture.
• Make sure sprinklers cover the landscaped areas without spraying or allowing runoff onto paved areas.
• Avoid watering on windy days. Water evaporates faster and is often blown onto paved areas.
• Watering during the cool parts of the day will help prevent water loss and evaporation.
• To minimize evaporation, use a sprinkler that throws large drops of water rather than a fine mist.
• During summer months set the mower blade higher. Taller grass will shade the soil allowing more moisture retention.
• Use a shutoff nozzle on your garden hose. Pick up a nozzle at SSWD’s administrative office.
• Use a broom instead of water to clean driveways, walkways or patios. This helps keep pollutants such as grease, oils and pesticides that accumulates on driveways from running off into creeks and rivers.
• Visit a local water efficient landscape garden for ideas on plants that require less water or are drought tolerant. Discover plants that grow best and thrive in our community.

Indoor

In the Bathroom:

• Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth or shaving.
• Replace a high flush toilet with a high efficiency toilet and obtain a rebate from SSWD.
• Install water efficient devices such as low flow showerheads and faucet aerators, which are available at SSWD’s administrative office. Faucet aerators reduce water use while maintaining flow.
• Test for and repair toilet leaks. Pick up dye tablets at SSWD’s administrative office. Add the tablets to the water in the toilet tank and do not flush the toilet. Return in 15 minutes and look into the toilet bowl to see if the dye color is present. If color appears, the toilet has a leak.
• Take short showers, ten minutes or less.

In the Kitchen:

• Run full loads in the dishwasher.
• If washing and rinsing dishes by hand, use a stopper in the sink(s) or wash and rinse basins rather than running water.
• Running water from the faucet until cool is wasteful. Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator.
• Clean fruits and vegetables in a small basin of water rather than under running water.

In the Laundry Room:

• Wash full loads in your washing machine.
• If you must wash less than a full load, match your washer’s water level to your load size.
• Replace your old washer with a high efficiency clothes washing machine that uses less water and obtain a rebate from SSWD.

Stop Those Leaks

• Routinely check your indoor fixtures and appliances for leaks. Leaky toilets can waste more water than any other fixture in the house. A slow faucet drip can waste up to 15 – 20 gallons per day. Most leaks are easy to repair.
• Routinely check your outdoor fixtures for leaks. Most irrigation system leaks occur because a valve fails to shut completely. Irrigation system leaks can vary in size and intensity depending on the location and water pressure.
• Even a minor swimming pool leak can cause substantial damage and result in large water loss and high water bills.