Water Conservation - What YOU Can Do
Water conservation in your home is one of the easiest measures to put in place, and considering how low our water levels have become during this drought, saving water must become part of every family’s normal practice.
Here are some ways you can help conserve our precious natural resource.
You can also find additional water conservation information at:
An Essential Guide on Home Water Conservation [60+Ways to Save Water at Home]
INDOORS
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Use a bucket or dish pan to hold the excess water that runs into the sink or shower prior to the water heating up. Then use this water for watering plants.
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Fix every leak and faucet drip immediately, even very small ones. Homes that have leaks waste 90 gallons or more per day. Common types of leaks include leaking toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. All are easily corrected with simple tools.
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If you belong to a gym or work at a company with a gym, try to use their showers when possible.
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The average toilet uses 4 gallons of water per flush (gpf). To decrease, invest in an ultra-low-flush (ULF) toilet, which will use only 2 gpf. But you can also install a simple “tank bank,” which costs about $2, and will save almost 1 gpf. Check the local hardware store for this item.
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Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. Aerators save 2 gallons of water per minute! Low-flow showerheads use only 2 gallons per minute!
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Install a high-efficiency clothes washer and save 20 gallons per wash.
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Run the washing machine with full loads only.
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Use a dishwasher instead of doing dishes by hand, and only run full loads.
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When washing your hands, turn the water off while lathering.
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Turn off water when brushing your teeth or shaving.
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Put a jug of water in your toilet tank to use less water with each flush.
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Don’t flush every time when flushing only liquid waste.
OUTDOORS
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DO NOT use water to hose off your driveway or decks! Sweep or use a non-gas-powered blower.
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Instead of washing your car at home, use the $8 exterior car wash at Lark Ave. Car Wash or at the Chevron on Los Gatos Blvd. & Blossom Hill. If you must wash your car at home, please do so using 2 buckets of water, one with soapy water, one with clean water for rinsing.
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Water plants only once a week and only in the early morning or evening when the water won’t evaporate so quickly.
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Use a watering can to water plants instead of a hose; uses less water.
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Use “gray water” for watering plants. More info on gray water systems can be found here.
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Ivy, established trees, and drought-resistant plants do not need to be watered.
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If you must plant anything new during this drought, please use only drought-resistant plants.