Wise Water Use Ways to Save on Your Bill

As the summer progresses, here are a few wise water tips for both indoor and outdoor to help lower your utility bill.

Inside the house:

•  Inspect all pipes and faucets for leaks, and make necessary repairs. If every household in America had a faucet that dripped once each second, we would waste 928 million gallons of  water a day or enough to fill 7.5 billion 8 oz. glasses.   
• Check toilets for hidden leaks. Tank-to-bowl leaks can waste about a quart of water with each flush. Place a few drops of food coloring in the tank. Wait 15 minutes. If the color appears  in the bowl, you have a leak. Make necessary repairs.

For outdoor use:

• Water every other day in the spring and summer months, unless you have new sod.
• Water in the early morning, 4 to 10 a.m., to allow grass blades to dry, making them less susceptible to foliar diseases. Watering is more efficient in the morning due to less evaporation and  wind speed.
• Don't water if it's windy.
• Adjust sprinklers to aim water directly at plants rather than sidewalks, paths, driveways, or fences.
• Use sprinklers that emit large droplets, again to reduce losses due to evaporation. Check hose connections for leaks, and repair them quickly. When you use a hose, attach a hose nozzle    tat can be shut off when not in use. A single hose left on uses nearly 300 gallons of water an hour.
• In hot, dry weather, use a broom instead of water to clean patios, sidewalks and driveways.