In the Bathroom…

¨ Take short showers and install a cutoff valve, or turn the water off while washing and back on again only to rinse.

¨ Take a shower instead of taking a bath. Showers with low-flow showerheads often use less water than taking a bath.

¨ Reduce the level of the water being used in a bathtub by one or two inches if a shower is not available.

¨ Shampoo hair in the shower. Shampooing in the shower takes only a little more water than is used to shampoo hair during a bath and much less than shampooing and bathing separately.

¨ Never use the toilet to dispose of cleansing tissues, cigarette butts, or other trash. This wastes a great deal of water and also places an unnecessary load on the sewage treatment plant or septic tank.

¨ When brushing teeth, turn the water off until it is time to rinse.

¨ Do not let the water run when washing hands. Water should be turned off while washing and scrubbing and be turned on again to rinse.

¨ When shaving, fill the lavatory basin with hot water instead of letting the water run continuously.

In the Kitchen…

¨ Scrape the dishes clean instead of rinsing them before washing. There is no need to rinse unless they are heavily soiled.

¨ Use a pan of water (or place a stopper in the sink) for washing and rinsing pots, pans, dishes, and cooking implements, rather than turning on the water faucet each time a rinse is needed.

¨ Never run the dishwasher without a full load. This practice will save water, energy, detergent, and money.

¨ Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running water from the tap until it is cool is wasteful.

¨ Always keep water conservation in mind, and think of other ways to save in the kitchen. Small kitchen savings from not making too much coffee or letting ice cubes melt in a sink can add up in a year’s time.

In the Laundry…

¨ Wash only a full load when using an automatic washing machine (32 to 59 gallons are required per load).

¨ Whenever possible, use the lowest water-level setting on the washing machine for light or partial loads.

¨ Use cold water as often as possible to save energy and to conserve the hot water for uses that cold water cannot serve.

For more information
Contact Sierra Utility Billing Services
512-837-3446 or toll free 888-376-3354