As a water utility, public health is our top priority. We encourage our customers to use as much water as they need to stay clean and healthy — including frequently washing your hands.
Even if we are all turning the tap on more than usual there are still simple actions we can take to use water wisely while washing our hands.
Hand washing tip #1: Don’t let the tap run the whole time you are scrubbing your hands.
Instead, turn the tap on quickly to get your hands wet, turn it off to lather up. Scrub your hands for 20 seconds or more, then turn it on again to rinse your hands. This video from the Centers for Disease Control shows a handwashing technique that fights germs without wasting water: www.bit.ly/handwashing_cdc
Hand washing tip #2: Walk past the kitchen and use the bathroom sink instead.
A typical bathroom faucet has a lower flow rate than a kitchen faucet. A higher flow rate in the kitchen is handy when you’re trying to quickly fill up that pot with water but you don’t need the extra water when washing your hands. By washing your hands at a bathroom sink you can use less water without even trying.
Hand washing tip #3: Install a WaterSense-labeled aerator on your bathroom faucet.
An aerator conserves water by reducing the amount of water flowing through your faucet without reducing the pressure. Depending on the social distancing recommendations in place when you read this, now might not be the right time to run over to the hardware store to buy an aerator. If so, consider this relatively simple project for the future. For more information, here is a step-by-step video from the Environmental Protection Agency on how to install an aerator: www.bit.ly/aerator_epa