Water Conservation Urged For Sacramento Region

In a statement issued today, agency officials said the region is experiencing its third consecutive dry winter.

Although the Sacramento region as a whole is not facing an emergency situation because of these ongoing dry conditions, the agency is asking its customers to voluntarily reduce water use.

“Conserving water is important to assure a continued reliable supply of water to our customers and to everyone in the region.

The Sacramento County Water Agency routinely monitors precipitation forecasts and coordinates with other water providers in the region to prepare for dry periods like this. If dry conditions persist into the spring, more stringent conservation measures may become necessary,” says Michael Peterson, Director, Sacramento County Department of Water Resources. 

Agency officials say landscape irrigation typically accounts for about 70 percent of total water use.

Here are some water savings tips:

Outdoor Tips

• Only irrigate your landscaping as needed

• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways, sidewalks and patios

• Use an automatic shut-off nozzle on your hose

• Install a water-efficient drip irrigation system for your trees, shrubs and flowers

• Repair leaks and broken sprinkler heads

• Reduce each irrigation cycle by two minutes

• Install a Water-Sense labeled, "Smart" irrigation controller that adjusts watering based upon weather, soil type, sun exposure (for example, full sun or part shade) and plant type

Indoor Tips

• Take five minute showers instead of 10 minute showers

• Turn off water when brushing teeth or shaving

• Wash only full loads of clothes and only run the dishwasher when it’s full

• Fix leaky faucets and toilets

• Install aerators on the kitchen faucet to reduce flows to less than 1.5 gallon per minute.

• Install efficient, WaterSense-labeled shower heads

• Install a high-efficiency WaterSense-labeled toilet (1.28 gallons per flush)

• Install aerators on bathroom faucets