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Despite rain, cities ask people to continue reducing water use

Puget Sound Region (Sept. 9, 2015) While the rain has been falling off and on recently, Everett, Seattle and Tacoma continue to ask people to reduce water use by 10 percent.

The recent rain helped, but it was not enough to return water supplies to normal levels. More rain and continued water reductions by customers are needed to replenish regional water supplies for people and fish.

Over the last four weeks, the region has collectively cut back water use by 14 percent. The cities are grateful for the actions residents and businesses have taken to reach that point.

Now, as the weather cools, customers should think about what they can do to save water inside.

“We are approaching that time of year when opportunities to save water outdoors decrease, but there are lots of water-saving tips inside our homes that we all can do now and year-round,” said Kelly O’Rourke, conservation planner at Seattle Public Utilities. She added that businesses can also examine how they are using water and find ways to reduce water use.

Indoor water-saving tips for residents:

  • Reduce showering time
  • Check for and fix leaks
  • Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes
  • Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving
  • Don’t pre-rinse dishes
  • If purchasing fixtures/equipment, choose water-efficient models

Indoor water-saving tips for businesses: 

  • Encourage reduced showering times at your facilities
  • Serve water only on request
  • Check for and fix leaks
  • Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes
  • Provide new towels only on request
  • Check cooling towers for overflow and excessive blowdown
  • If purchasing fixtures/equipment, choose water-efficient models

Outdoor water-saving tips for residents:

  • Let lawns go dormant and limit plant watering to twice a week
  • Water plants before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
  • Wash your vehicle(s) at locations that recycle the water
  • Do only essential pressure washing
  • Minimize refilling swimming pools and hot tubs
  • Turn off water features

The utilities plan to report how customers are doing every other week; the next round of regional results will be released the week of  Sept. 21.

Find a graph illustrating the savings and more water saving tips at www.savingwater.org.

MORE INFORMATION

Water Supply Update (updated September 9)
Current water supply graphs (pdf)
SavingWater.org