EUGENE WATER  &  ELECTRIC  BOARD

Using water wisely can lower your monthly water bill, keep your lawn and landscape healthy and help the environment by keeping more water in our rivers.

Landscape watering accounts for nearly all the increase in water usage during the spring and summer growing season. But by taking a few simple steps, you can use water more efficiently without changing your lifestyle.

• Don't automatically increase water usage when a hot spell hits. Lawns and gardens that have had regular, deep soaks can weather short periods of extreme heat.
• Use timers to avoid over watering your yard and garden. Learn about EWEB's sprinkler timer rebate.
• If you have an automatic watering system, reducing the watering time for each automatic sprinkler zone by one minute can save 60 gallons of water each time the sprinkler system comes on.
• Use a Green Grass Gauge and follow EWEB's weekly watering recommendations.
• Mulch plants generously to retain moisture in the root zone.
• Consider soaker hoses or a drip irrigation system for your vegetable garden, shrubs and flower beds.
• Aerate your lawn in the spring or fall, top dress with compost and apply a healthy compost tea. This promotes deep root growth, improves water infiltration rates and water holding capacity of soils, and improves overall soil health.
• Plant native or water-wise species.

• Repair water drips and leaks immediately. An average of 11% of home indoor water use is attributable to leaks. To discover unknown leaks, turn off every water use in your home (including the ice-maker in your freezer), and then look at your water meter to see if water is flowing. If the slow-flow indicator (a triangle or small bar located on the dial above the numbers) is spinning, then look for a dripping faucet or silent toilet leak. A leaking toilet can add $20-30 to your water bill month after month. Learn more about finding and fixing leaks.
• Learn your water budget, and then compare it to your actual bill.
• Replace old toilets with new, low-flow models.
• Install efficient shower heads and faucet aerators. These can save up to 10% on your water heating costs, in addition to the water that they save.
• Turn faucets off when not using the water, such as while brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when you have full loads.
• Scrape dirty dishes instead of hand-rinsing before loading into the dishwasher. Most modern dishwashers have a quick-rinse option that can be used if a partial load will sit for more than a day, and this option uses significantly less water than rinsing by hand.
• Replace a worn-out clothes washer or dishwasher with a more efficient Energy Star model. In addition to energy savings, newer models use less water. EWEB offers rebates for qualifying appliances.

• Call EWEB's water experts at (541) 685-7000 for advice on how you can use water more efficiently in your business, industrial facility, school or other workplace.
• Increase employee awareness of water conservation.
• Install motion-activated faucets, other flow reducers or aerators in all plumbing fixtures.
• Use timers on all outdoor sprinkler systems.
• Assign an employee to monitor water use and make suggestions for using water more efficiently.
• Check your water system, toilets, faucets or manufacturing processes for leaks.
• Wash vehicles less often.
• Use brooms to clean sidewalks and steps instead of hosing them down.
`

For more tips on how to save water and lower your bill, call (541) 685-7000.