Water Conservation / Education

How You Can Be Water Wise

Being water wise is simple:

• Water during the early morning to prevent water from evaporating. Avoid watering during windy conditions.
• Water your grass only when it needs it. If you step on the grass and it feels spongy, then wait to water your grass when it does not spring back.
• Water lawns and plants according to their different watering needs.
• Use your smartphone to remind you when to turn off sprinkler systems by setting the timer with an audible alarm and vibrating alert.
• Avoid nozzles or sprinklers that emit a fine mist that will easily evaporate.
• If water puddles or runs off, you should consider shorter watering times and/or fewer number of days.
• Sweep the front and back yard hard surfaces (concrete or black top. etc) with a broom instead of using the hose.
• Always do laundry with a full load.
• If washing dishes by hand, fill the sink with water rather than continually running the tap.
• Take shorter showers. Reducing a 10-minute shower to 5 minutes will save 12.5 gallons (47.3 liters) of water if the showerhead has a flow rate of 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters) per minute (even more if the showerhead has a higher flow rate).
• If it takes a long time for the hot water to reach the shower, use it as an opportunity to collect water for other uses, such as watering houseplants.
• Replacing an older toilet that uses 3.50 gallons (13.2 liters) per flush (gpf) with one that uses 1.28 gpf (4.85 liters) will save 2.22 gpf (8.4 Lpf). The EPA Water Sense program labels efficient toilets that use a maximum 1.28 gpf. If the toilet is flushed an average of six times each day it will save 13 gallons (49.2 liters) per day or 4,745 gallons (17.9 m3) per year. Some older toilets may use as much as 7 gallons (26.5 liters) per flush. (gpf-gallons per flush & Lpf-liters per flush)
• If a new toilet is not affordable at this time, an economical way of reducing water usage is to put a brick or weighted jug or jar in the toilet tank.
  
• To prevent ruptured hoses and sprinkler pipes, drain and disconnect them during the winter.
• If you leave for a vacation or business trip, always shut off your main service valve.
• Make sure there are NO leaks on your property.
• If a leak is detected, repair it immediately.
• Any leaks discovered on your property, are your responsibility to repair. This includes, but is not limited to: toilets, water heaters, kitchen and bathroom faucets, showers and tubs, and other water apparatuses.
• Sometimes leaks occur below grade (underneath the ground). There have been many customers doubting the Staff when they are informed their high water bill is due to an undetected leak on their property. The soil here in Cabazon is very porous. When a leak is below grade, it will take some time before the water surfaces. The darkness in the sandy soil pictured below is water.
  Why does water first sink in a sandy soil? The force of gravity is one factor. Just as water at a higher elevation on a street tends to run down due to gravity, so water in sandy soil tends to move downward due gravity. It surfaces when the ground is so saturated it has nowhere else to go, but up. This can be demonstrated by filling a pot full of dirt with water. As the soil in the pot becomes so saturated and the pores are completely filled, the soil no longer has room for the water to go, but up. This is why in Cabazon, whether its private property or public streets, it takes a few days, weeks, or even months, before a leak surfaces above ground. 
  
• Any water wasted during the leak will be billed as water usage by the Cabazon Water District.

For more water conservation tips, please visit the San Gorgonio Pass Regional Water Alliance  of which the Cabazon Water District is a member.