Puget Sound Region (Sept. 9, 2015) While the rain has been falling off and on recently, Everett, Seattle and Tacoma continue to ask people to reduce water use by 10 percent.
The recent rain helped, but it was not enough to return water supplies to normal levels. More rain and continued water reductions by customers are needed to replenish regional water supplies for people and fish.
Over the last four weeks, the region has collectively cut back water use by 14 percent. The cities are grateful for the actions residents and businesses have taken to reach that point.
Now, as the weather cools, customers should think about what they can do to save water inside.
“We are approaching that time of year when opportunities to save water outdoors decrease, but there are lots of water-saving tips inside our homes that we all can do now and year-round,” said Kelly O’Rourke, conservation planner at Seattle Public Utilities. She added that businesses can also examine how they are using water and find ways to reduce water use.
Indoor water-saving tips for residents:
- Reduce showering time
- Check for and fix leaks
- Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes
- Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving
- Don’t pre-rinse dishes
- If purchasing fixtures/equipment, choose water-efficient models
Indoor water-saving tips for businesses:
- Encourage reduced showering times at your facilities
- Serve water only on request
- Check for and fix leaks
- Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes
- Provide new towels only on request
- Check cooling towers for overflow and excessive blowdown
- If purchasing fixtures/equipment, choose water-efficient models
Outdoor water-saving tips for residents:
- Let lawns go dormant and limit plant watering to twice a week
- Water plants before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
- Wash your vehicle(s) at locations that recycle the water
- Do only essential pressure washing
- Minimize refilling swimming pools and hot tubs
- Turn off water features
The utilities plan to report how customers are doing every other week; the next round of regional results will be released the week of Sept. 21.
Find a graph illustrating the savings and more water saving tips at www.savingwater.org.
MORE INFORMATION
Map of service areas of Everett, Seattle and Tacoma
About Everett: https://everettwa.gov
Everett operates a regional water supply system that serves 80 percent of the homes and businesses in Snohomish County. This includes Everett and 95 other cities and water districts and serves a population of about 570,000. Get Everett water supply information.
About Seattle: www.seattle.gov/util
Seattle operates a regional water supply system serving 1.3 million people, including residents of Seattle as well as 25 other cities and water districts in King County. Get Seattle water supply information.
About Tacoma: www.tacomawater.com
Tacoma Water supplies water directly to about 316,000 people in Tacoma, University Place, Ruston and areas of unincorporated Pierce and south King counties. The utility also serves relatively small areas within the cities of Puyallup, Fircrest, Lakewood and Bonney Lake. Through wholesale connections, Tacoma Water serves Auburn, Bonney Lake, Fife, Puyallup and parts of Pierce and King counties. Get Tacoma water supply information.