Water Conservation

Conservation Tips

The following tips will help you conserve water and reduce your monthly water bill in addition to being good for the environment:

Basic Water Information

Water system pressure is maintained at 55 to 65 psi.

Hard Water: Water is considered soft if total hardness is less than 75 ppm, moderately hard at 75 to 150 ppm, hard at 150 to 300 ppm, and very hard at 300 ppm or higher. To convert the hardness of your water from part per million to grains per gallon, simply divide by 17.1.

Quail Valley UD and other Districts have programs and materials available to assist schools with conserving water and educating students about water conservation through the Water-Wise Program. Contact our office for more information on what programs and materials are available in your area.

How to Save Water in the Home

Conserving water is easy to do. From our end, Quail Valley UD tries to reduce water loss through water distribution system leaks by maintaining and upgrading our infrastructure regularly. We also sponsor education programs to help customer use water wisely. Please pick up one of our pamphlets on water conservation located in the lobby of our office.

Conservation at Home

Inside

Is your water toilet a water hog?
Replacing an old 3.5 to 8 gallon-per-flush toilet with a new 1.6 gallon-per-flush (or less) high efficiency model could save thousands of gallons per year.

Do you have a leaky faucet?
A little drip may not seem like much, but a faucet that drips just five times a minute may be wasting more than 200 gallons of water a year.

Do you leave the faucet running when you brush your teeth?
Turn it off to save 70 gallons per month or more. You can also install water-saving faucet aerators to further reduce your faucet water use.

Do you have an old washing machine?
A high efficiency clothes washer may use half the water and energy that a traditional washer uses. And don’t forget to run full loads (in your dishwasher too)!

Outside

How “green” is your garden?
By using native plants – plants that are used to our climate – you may be able to reduce your outdoor water use significantly.

Does your lawn needs watering?
A good way to check is to just step on the grass. If it springs right back up, you may not need to turn on your sprinklers. When it’s time to water, do it at dawn or dusk to reduce evaporation.

Have you checked your sprinkler system lately?
A sprinkler system can waste water if sprinkler heads are broken, automatic timers are not adjusted for rain, or hidden leaks are not detected.

Can you avoid getting out the garden hose?
A hose can use 10 gallons of water per minute. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean patios, walkways, and driveways.

How to Check for Leaks

Here is a simple procedure that can tell you if you have a leak and how much water you’re losing.

  1. Locate water meter. It is usually near the street in front of your home.
  2. Read the meter twice – first at night after the day’s water use has ended, and again in the morning before any water is used.
  3. Subtract the first number from the second reading to tell how much water (if any) leaked overnight.
  4. If you suspect a leak, your pipes and connections should be checked and repaired quickly.
  5. The toilet is a common source of unnoticed leaks. Undetected, hundreds of gallons of water can be wasted each day. Listening carefully for the sound of running water is a good way to detect a possible leak. Food coloring or dye tablet added to the tank will also reveal water leaking into the toilet bowl. Drop it in the tank and don’t flush. If the water in the bowl turns color, you have a leak.

Tablets that can be used to detect toilet leaks are available free of charge at the Quail Valley UD office. If you suspect a leak and need assistance in determining its location, please call our office.