Water Use
Indoor and outdoor water use can be significantly reduced through simple conservation habits, efficient fixtures, and smart irrigation practices, helping save both water and money.
Indoor Water Us
When looking at household water use, normal indoor use includes bathing (showers and bathtubs), toilets, faucets, washing machines, and dishwashers. There are many opportunities to prevent or reduce water waste in the home. Fixing leaking pipes and water fixtures, replacing old, inefficient water fixtures with newer, low-flow models, turning the water off when brushing teeth, taking shorter showers, etc. This will not only save water but also money. Additionally, rebates are available to help.
How many gallons should I use in a day?
The current statewide median for indoor use is 48 gallons per person per day. Click here to measure your water footprint.
How do I know if I have “newer fixtures”?
You fall into the "newer fixtures" category if your toilet was installed after 2015, if you have a front-loading washing machine, and if your dishwasher is less than 15 years old.
Outdoor Water Use
Outdoor water use is the biggest use of water in our community and the most wasteful. Outdoor use includes pools and spas, running water features, washing vehicles, and landscape irrigation.
Pools/spas: Pools should be covered when not in use. Pools lose a significant amount of water through evaporation. Topping off a 15ft x 25ft pool with half an inch of water each week is 17 gallons per day.
Washing vehicles: Using water to wash any automobile, truck, van, bus, motorcycle, boat, or trailer, whether motorized or not, is prohibited, except by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container or a hand-held hose equipped with a self-closing water shut-off nozzle or device.
A hand-held hose, such as a garden hose with a spray nozzle, typically puts out 3–5 gallons per minute. So, watering by hand for ten minutes uses about 40 gallons of water. That’s as much as one tree needs for a month!
Trees: Most trees common to this area require 7 - 10 gallons per week. So, count the number of trees and multiply by 10 for a generous watering allocation. Learn how to protect your trees today with information from our Forestry Master Plan.
Landscape irrigation: Irrigation requires the most water of all uses. Watering needs depend on the time of year. In summer, when temperatures and evaporation are high, non-native plants need as much as four times the amount of water as in the cooler rainy season months.
To calculate your landscape irrigation needs, use the water calculator!