WATER CONSERVATION TIPS

With little rainfall and hot and dry summer months, the valley must carefully manage finite water supplies. So throughout the year, Castaic Lake Water Agency is asking all customers to rethink water consumption and to reduce water usage by 10 percent.  Here are some easy ways you can conserve:

Saving water around your home 

Pipes & Hardware

• Verify that your home is leak-free! Many homes have hidden water leaks. Here's a way to check:
  
  
  • Turn off all faucets both inside and outside your home.
  • Look at your water meter (usually located in a ground vault somewhere near the front of your home).
  • If the dial is moving, you may have a leak. Make a note of the meter reading (the numbers on the dial).
  • Leaving all water turned off, read your water meter two hours later. If the meter shows a higher number, there is probably a leak somewhere in your yard or home.
• Insulate your water pipes. You'll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.
• Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year, which will add to the cost of water and sewer bills
• Consider installing an "instant" water heater on sinks that are located far from your main water heater so you don't have to let the water run while it heats up. This will reduce heating costs for your household. These units are sometimes referred to as "point of use" water heaters.

Bathroom

• Check for toilet leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear in the toilet bowl within 30 minutes. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, readily available and easily installed. CLWA or your local water supplier can provide you with a free toilet leak test kit.
• Take shorter showers. Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low-flow showerhead. Some units are available that allow you to cut off the flow without adjusting the water temperature knobs. CLWA provides free showerheads to Santa Clarita Valley residents at its annual Open House in May and at other community events or by calling (661) 513 1253.
• Use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first and filling the tub only 1/3 full.
• Don't let water run while brushing your teeth, shaving or washing your face.
• Retrofit household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors. CLWA provides free aerators to Santa Clarita Valley residents at its annual Open House in May and at other community events or by calling (661) 513 1253.

Kitchen

• Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.
• When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Rinse in another basin filled with hot, clear water.
• Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.
• Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.

Saving water outdoors

Your Lawn

• It's easy to over-water your lawn! A good rain can eliminate the need for watering for as long as two weeks. If your grass springs back up after you step on it, it does not need to be watered.
• Water lawns during the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speeds are the lowest. This reduces losses from evaporation.
• Do you see water runoff from your yard each time you water? This could mean that the lawn needs aeration. When you aerate your lawn, you give the water somewhere to go besides down the storm drain.

Irrigation & Sprinklers

• Don't water your street, driveway or sidewalk. Position sprinklers so that water lands on the lawn and shrubs, not paved areas.
• Install sprinklers that are the most water-efficient for each use. Microsprinklers, drip irrigation, high efficiency nozzles and soaker hoses are examples of water-efficient methods of irrigation.
• Do a weekly check for broken or clogged sprinkler heads and replace them right away.  Make sure you are watering your yard and not the driveway or sidewalk.  Broken or poorly adjusted sprinklers may go unnoticed since sprinklers are often set to operate during early morning hours.

Gardening

• Raise your lawn mower blade to at least three inches. A lawn cut higher encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds in soil moisture better than a closely-clipped lawn.
• Avoid over-fertilizing your lawn. The application of fertilizers increases the need for water especially in the summer months. Don't fertilize monthly; instead, apply fertilizers which contain slow-release, water-insoluble forms of nitrogen.
• Mulch to retain moisture in the soil. Mulching also helps to control weeds that compete with plants for water.
• Plant drought-tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees. They require less watering and they usually will survive a dry period without any watering.  Visit CLWA's Conservatory Garden to see examples of water-efficient plants and irrigation methods.

Maintenance

• Do not hose down your driveway or sidewalk. Use a broom to clean leaves and other debris from these areas. Using a hose to clean a driveway can waste hundreds of gallons of water.
• Outfit your hose with a nozzle that stops water flow completely when not actually using the water. Remember to turn off the water at the faucet when you are finished using the hose. CLWA provides free nozzles to Santa Clarita Valley residents at its annual Open House in May and at other community events.
• Do not leave sprinklers or hoses unattended. Your garden hose can pour out 600 gallons or more in only a few hours. Use a timer to remind yourself to turn it off.
• Check all hoses, connectors and spigots regularly. Replace hose washers to eliminate leaks.

Car Wash

• Consider using a commercial car wash that recycles water. Ask at the car wash if they recycle water: often they will display a sign stating that they do.
• If you wash your own car, use a bucket for the soapy water and a shut-off nozzle for your hose. CLWA provides free nozzles to Santa Clarita Valley residents at its annual Open House in May and at other community events.

General Water Saving Guidelines

• Create an awareness of the need for water conservation among your children. Avoid the purchase of recreational water toys that require a constant stream of water.
• Be aware of, and follow all water conservation rules and restrictions that may be in effect in your area.
• Report all significant water losses (broken pipes, open hydrants, errant sprinklers on public property, etc.) to your local water company.
• Support projects that will lead to an increased use of reclaimed wastewater (recycled water) for irrigation uses.
• Support efforts and programs to create a concern for water conservation among tourists and visitors to our state. Make sure your visitors understand the need for, and benefits of, water conservation.
• Encourage your friends and neighbors to be part of a water conscious community. Promote water conservation in community newsletters, on bulletin boards and by example.
• Conserve water because it is the right thing to do. Don't waste water just because someone else is footing the bill, such as when you are staying at a hotel.
• Try to do one thing each day that will result in saving water.  Remember, every drop counts.  And every person can make a difference!
• Encourage your school system to help develop and promote a water conservation ethic among children and adults.  CLWA offers a free School Education Program for Santa Clarita Valley students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade.  Not only can your child have fun, but he or she can learn about water and conservation while having fun. (Link to School Education Program page)

Do you have a water-saving tip that isn't listed here? If so, send it to us by clicking here.

To get even more ideas for saving water around the home, please visit the "Virtual Home" website at www.H2ouse.org

Water Trivia

• A healthy adult needs 2 quarts of water a day. Most people drink less.
• A person can live without food for about a month, but only about a week without water.
• Most of the earth's surface water is permanently frozen, located too deep in the ground to pump, or is in the oceans.
• The overall amount of water on our planet has remained the same for about two billion years. All the water that is on the earth today has been here since the earth formed.
• About 6,800 gallons of water is required to grow a day's food for a family of four.
• Eighty percent of the fresh water we use in the U.S. is for irrigating crops.
• It takes about 6 gallons of water to grow a single serving of lettuce. More than 2,600 gallons is required to produce a single serving of steak.
• It takes almost 49 gallons of water to produce just one eight-ounce glass of milk. That includes water consumed by the cow and to grow the food she eats, plus water used to process the milk.
• Tomatoes are 95% water.
• One gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds.
• The human brain is composed of 95% water; blood is 82% water; and the lungs are nearly 90% water.
• "Distilled" water is water that does not contain minerals.
• Desert camels drink about 50 gallons of water at a time, and can go nine days without water.  Camels' humps contain fat, not water (but body fat is made up primarily of water).
• About 39,000 gallons of water is needed to make an automobile.
• The first water pipes in the US were made of hollowed-out logs.
• The Mississippi River is about 2,340 miles long, making it the longest river in North America.
• The Nile is the longest river in the world. It travels 4,132 miles northward from its remote headwaters in Burundi to the Mediterranean Sea.
• Over 90% of the world's fresh water is frozen and located in Antarctica.
• Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest waterfall in the world. The falls drops 3,212 feet. The drop is taller than 2.5 Empire State Buildings stacked one on top of the other.
• The world's rainiest place is Mt. Wai'ale'ale, Kauai, Hawaii. During an average year, there are only 15 dry days.
• The state of Minnesota may be known as the "Land of Sky Blue Waters" and the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but Alaska has more than 3 million lakes.
• The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water and has 144,000 square miles of water surface. Although called a sea because of its size and saltiness, it is actually a lake.
• The five Great Lakes form the largest fresh surface water system in the world.
• If all the water in the Great Lakes was spread evenly across the continental U.S., the ground would be covered with almost 10 feet of water.
• The highest lake in the world is Lake Titicaca. It is located in the Andes Mountains at an elevation of 12,500 feet.
• The world's lowest inland body of salt water, the Dead Sea, is really a lake. At 1,292 feet below sea level, it is the lowest point on earth. The water is about 7 times saltier than ordinary sea water. The high salt content accounts for the water's incredible buoyancy - it is almost impossible to swim in it, but you can float effortlessly.
• Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the U.S. - it has a maximum depth of 1,645 feet. It holds 40 trillion gallons of water - enough to cover the state of California to a depth of 14 inches!