Be Water Wise: Save Water and Money

 

As you may be aware, due to persistent drought conditions and declining combined reservoir storage, Stage Two Water Conservation Measures went into effect for the City of Houston earlier this month. Customers must follow the irrigation limit and schedule which was originally voluntary during the Stage One measure, i.e., limit irrigation to the hours between 12:01 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. or between 8:00 p.m. and midnight on no more than two days per week in conformity with the following schedule:

 

 

• Sundays and Thursdays for customers with even‐numbered addresses

• Saturdays and Wednesdays for customers with odd‐numbered addresses

CLICK HERE for a detailed schedule.

 

In addition, residents must repair all detectable leaks within 72 hours of discovery.

Also, do your part to save water, our precious natural resource, in and around your home. Below are some water wise tips to start saving water and money today:

 

In the Kitchen/Laundry Room

Don't leave the water running.
Turn off the tap while washing dishes. Fill the sink or a pail to wash and rinse dishes.

 

Check faucets and pipes for leaks.
Even a small leak from worn washers can waste more than 50 gallons of water per day. Larger leaks can waste hundreds of gallons.

 

Equip faucets with aerators.
Installing aerators on kitchen and bathroom sinks can reduce indoor water use by about 4%.

 

Upgrade to an efficient clothes washing machine.
High-efficiency clothes washers can reduce water and energy use by 40%.

 

Wash only full laundry loads.
You don't need to do laundry every day. Wait until you have a full load of laundry to run the clothes washing machine and you'll save on water, wastewater and energy costs.

 

In the Bathroom

Detect leaks.
Do you hear the toilet running or your faucet dripping? You could be wasting thousands of gallons per month. Contact the City of Houston Utility Customer Services Branch at 713-371-1400 for information on locating your water meter and detecting plumbing leaks using meter readings. Conducting a dye-test in toilet tanks can identify costly silent leaks. Visit http://www.publicworks.houstontx.gov/resource/faq.html for additional information.

 

Check your toilet flapper.
Over time the flapper in your toilet tank becomes worn and does not work effectively to stop leaks into the toilet bowl. Flappers can be easily found at hardware stores and are simple to install.

 

Take shorter showers.
Limit showers to the time it takes to lather up, wash down and rinse (about 5 minutes). A running shower can waste 3-7 gallons per minute.

 

Install low-flow showerheads.
Replace older showerheads with new efficient models that use 2.5 gallons per minute or less. Older models can flow up to 7 gallons per minute and can waste thousands of gallons per month. Today's efficient models still produce great water pressure.

 

Change everyday habits. Turn off the tap.
Running the water while brushing teeth and shaving can waste hundreds of gallons every month.

 

Replace your old toilet.
Toilets are the largest water user in the home. New high-efficiency toilet models flush at 1.2 gallons or less as opposed to older models, which use up to 7 gallons per flush.

 

The toilet is not a wastebasket.
You could be wasting up to 7 gallons each time you flush trash.

 

Be a water wise tenant.
Do you rent? Help save water by reporting leaking toilets, facets and irrigation systems to your property manager or landlord.

 

Around your property

Plant drought tolerant species.
Reduce outdoor watering needs by planting species appropriate for Houston's climate.
Contact the City of Houston WaterWorks Education and Outreach Team at 832-395-3791 or the website at http://www.houstonwaterworks.org/ for information on low water use plants.

 

Deep-soak your lawn.
Remember to water long enough to deep soak grass roots. A light sprinkling will sit on the surface of the turf and easily evaporate.

 

Place mulch around trees and plants.
A layer of mulch will slow the evaporation of moisture from your landscape and inhibit the growth of weeds.

 

Install shut-off nozzles on all garden hoses.
Make sure your garden hose has an automatic shut-off.

 

Sweep sidewalks and driveways.
Hosing down pavement around your home can waste hundreds of gallons. A broom is the proper tool to clean these areas.

 

Don't water the pavement.
Position sprinkler heads to water lawns and gardens, not the pavement surrounding your landscape.

 

Check for broken sprinkler heads and irrigation tubing.
Broken sprinkler heads waste water and can potentially damage your landscape. Inspect these systems at least once a month.

 

Refrain from washing the car.
If the dirt poses a driving hazard, clean the car with a bucket of soapy water. Use the hose only to rinse it off.

 

Don't fill the pool.
Refrain from filling, refilling or adding water to any indoor or outdoor swimming pool, spa or whirlpool.

 

CLICK HERE for a printable version of these conservation tips.

 

Contact Information

 

for questions and comments please contact conservation@houstontx.gov.