Use Water Wisely

Monroeville residents have access to an abundance of water most of the time, so the importance of clean water is often overlooked.   For most of us, water use is a habit.  We are accustomed to having water at the twist of a faucet.  We usually do not think about how much water we use.  Our water resources are not unlimited.  They are affected everyday by precipitation, population growth, economic development, and pollution.  Because water is a resource that must be shared, competition for its use is an ever increasing management problem.In the past, we attempted to alleviate our supply problems by constructing storage facilities and developing new resources such as wells and reservoirs.  However, these measures can be costly, both economically and environmentally.A more cost-effective way to protect our water resources is through sound management and conservation.

Repair All Leaks

A dripping faucet is more than annoying...it is expensive.  Even small leaks can waste significant amounts of water.  Hot water leaks are a waste of water and of the energy used to heat the water.  

Leaks inside the toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day.  Toilet leaks can be detected by adding a few drops of food coloring to the water in the toilet tank.  If colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking.

If you have a leaking faucet or toilet, stop pouring money down the drain and repair it.

Save Water in the Bathroom

When constructing a new home, or remodeling your bathroom, install low consumption (1.6 gal./flush) toilets.

Place a weighted plastic gallon jug in the tanks of conventional toilets to displace and save an equal amount of water with each flush.

Install low-flow aerators and showerheads.  They are inexpensive, easy to install and save water and energy

Don't let the faucet flow while brushing your teeth or shaving.  Use a glass of water for rinsing teeth.

Take showers instead of tub baths.  Consider bathing small children together.

If your shower has a single-handle control or shut off valve, turn off the flow while soaping or shampooing.

Leaking diverter valves (valves that divert water from tub to showerhead) should be replaced.

Save Water in the Kitchen

Refrigerate a bottle of drinking water instead of letting a faucet flow until the water is cold enough to drink.

Use a dishpan or plug the sink for washing and rinsing dishes.  Install a low aerator on all faucets.

Pre-washing dishes prior to loading a dishwasher is unnecessary and wasteful of water.

Operate the dishwasher only when it is fully loaded.

When purchasing a dishwasher, consider water consumption as well as energy efficiency.  Most manufacturers now provide this information to consumers.

Save Water in the Laundry

Operate the washing machine only when it is fully loaded.

Use the proper water level or load size selection on the washing machine.

When purchasing a washing machine, consider water consumption as well as energy efficiency.  Most manufacturers now provide this information to consumers.

Save Water Outside the Home

The watering of lawns and gardens can double normal household water use during hot, dry summer months.  At standard household water pressures, a garden hose will discharge up to 6½ gallons of water per minute.  To apply an inch of water to 1000 square feet of lawn or garden requires 620 gallons of water.

Watering should be limited to gardens, and newly planted lawns and landscaped areas.  Established lawns and landscaped plantings will usually survive without watering.  Inadequate watering encourages shallow root growth and increases the risk of mortality.  When water is scarce, your community water supply should be reserved for your most essential  needs.

The following water-saving measures should be practiced regularly, but remember, during mandatory water use restrictions, all water use outside the home is restricted.

• Use a broom, not a hose to clean driveways, steps and sidewalks.
• Wash the car with water from a bucket.
• If a hose must be used, control the flow with an automatic shut-off nozzle.
• water the lawn or garden during the coolest part of the day.  Do not water on windy days.
• Set sprinklers to water the garden only.  Do not water the street or sidewalk.
• Use soaker hoses and trickle irrigation systems to reduce the amount of water used for irragation by 20 to 50 percent.
• Use mulch around shrubs and garden plants to reduce evaporation from the soil surface and cut down on weed growth.
• Use native plants in landscaping your lawn, because they require less care and water than ornamental varities.