As a community, we are very conscious of our water use because we want to keep the level of Lake Arrowhead as high as possible. During periods of drought, we often hear from our customers asking what more they can do to save water. The focus is usually on indoor water uses but the largest water savings can be found outside.

Outdoor Water Saving Tips

• Fix outdoor leaks immediately
• Winterize your irrigation system
• Improve your existing sprinkler system: https://saveourwater.com/en/News-and-Events/Latest-News/Improving-an-Existing-Sprinkler-System
• Adjust your irrigation to avoid runoff
• Outdoor hose bibs should not exceed 3 gallons of flow per minute and should be equipped with vacuum breakers (anti-siphon valves).
• Always use a shut-off nozzle with your hose. Stop by our office to pick one up for free.
• Use drought tolerant plants. Click here for the Landscape Guide for Mountain Homes.
• Periodically check your irrigation system to ensure it is operating properly, especially after a power outage.

Indoor Water Saving Tips

Of course, we want to be sure that we are practicing water efficiency indoors as well. Below are some tips to reduce your indoor consumption.

• Fix indoor leaks: LACSD identifies approximately 2,000 leaks for our customers per year, saving up to 11 million gallons of water. Slow leaks use more water than you might think. For more information about how to find a leak, click here.
• Check your toilets for leaks: The most common indoor leaks come from failing toilet flappers which typically waste between 7 and 15 gallons per hour. To identify a leaky toilet, place some food dye in the tank and check back in 30 minutes to see if the dye leaked into the bowl. Free dye tablets are available at our office.
• Install a low flow toilet and avoid using it as a wastebasket: Low flow toilets can save a family of four over 14,000 gallons of water per year. Every flush can use up to 7 gallons of water.
• Winterize your home: If you are leaving your home during the winter, be sure to winterize to avoid pipes that freeze and break. These types of breaks can release large amounts of water and cause extensive property damage. Click here to learn how to winterize.
• Take shorter showers: We all know this one but did you know that showers use a minimum of 4 gallons per minute. Try a bath instead. A full batch uses less water than the average shower.
• Install water saving showerheads and faucet aerators: Low-flow showerheads can reduce the amount of water to 2 gallons per minute and faucet aerators can reduce flow to 0.5 gallons per minute while still providing good pressure and flow. Stop by our office and pick some up for free.
• Don’t leave the water running: Whether you’re shaving, brushing your teeth, washing dishes or rinsing vegetables, only run the water when you need it. Reuse vegetable rinsing water for your plants.
• Only run your dishwasher or washing machine when it’s full unless your appliance can adjust to smaller loads.
• When remodeling or building a new home, consider installing a hot water recirculating system. This water-saving system reduces the need to run the water until it gets hot.
• Install a pressure regulator if the pressure coming from your water meter is greater than 50 psi.
• New single use bath tubs should not exceed a capacity of 70 gallons.

For more ideas on how to save water, visit Save Our Water [link to https://saveourwater.com/en/How-to-Save-Water/Around-the-House.