For Residents

Indoor Water Conservation

Just about everyone uses water in their bathroom, kitchen and in the laundry. Leaks and old technology can be wasting water and costing you money, plus adding to sewage treatment and disposal cost. Rebates are now available on water-efficient technology for your home. A few steps taken now will save water for years to come.

Update the old commode with a new high-efficiency toilet today and get a $100 rebate.  Call 1-866-STOKWTR (1-866-786-5987) for more information.

A new clothes washing machine can save water and energy. Update to a high-efficiency washing machine today and get a $150 rebate.

Outdoor Water Conservation

Install a new timer for your lawn sprinklers. Watering your lawn is a season endeavor that needs adjustment a couple times a year. In the summer water during off-peak hours such as in the evening, and for only the amount your lawn needs. In the fall when the rain begins, remember to turn your sprinklers off.

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Indoor Water Saving Tips

Kitchens

There are many ways to save water in the kitchen. Just a few good habits to adopt are:

1. Make sure the dishwasher is fully loaded before you run it. Dishwashers use about 12 gallons per load.
2. When washing dishes by hand, don’t leave the water running. A sink full of wash water and a sink full of rinse water will do the job just as well.
3. Keep a container of cold water in your refrigerator instead of letting the faucet water run until cold.
4. When you wash vegetables or prepare foods use a sink stopper instead of letting the water run.
5. Install low-flow faucet aerators.

Bathrooms

Two thirds of the water used in an average home is used in the bathroom, mostly for flushing toilets, and for showers and baths. Some great ways to save water in the bathroom are:

Sinks

• Don't leave the water running while brushing your teeth, or while shaving. Run the tap for as long as you need, then turn it off until you need some more.
• Replace worn washers and old faucets. A slow drip of water adds up over time.

Showers

• Be mindful of your shower time and take shorter showers to save water. Use a kitchen timer to keep track and work to shorter times gradually. If your showerhead is of an older design it may flow at 10 to 20 gallons per minute. Updating to a water-efficient showerhead is optimal.
• Consider alternating showers and baths. A partially filled tub uses far less water than a long shower.

Toilets

• Every time a toilet is flushed, between 1.6 and 7 gallons are used. Only the most modern high-efficiency toilets use as little as 1.6 gallons per flush and were installed per plumbing code after 1992. If your home is older, and has not been remodeled, your toilet uses 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. Take advantage of the new rebates available and receive $100 rebate.
• Using a toilet as trash can to flush away tissues, gum wrappers, cigarette butts, diapers, or anything else that ought to go into a wastebasket or garbage can wastes water too.
• Toilets are famous for their hidden leaks, and can waste hundreds of gallons a day when undetected. Leaks occur when the operating mechanism is out of adjustment, or parts are worn. Check for leaks periodically.
• Most toilet leaks are at the overflow pipe, or at the flapper valve in the tank bottom. If they are at the overflow pipe, then the water level is too high. Gently bend the float arm downward until the valve shuts off the water about 1/2” below the top of the overflow pipe. Some times the valve is worn and must be replaced. If you are an experienced do-it-yourselfer you can do the job; otherwise call a plumber.
• Plunger ball leaks aren't as easy to spot. Place several drops of food coloring, (or tablets made for this purpose and available from the City's Water Utility), into the tank and wait to see if the color appears in the bowl. If so, the plunger ball needs to be realigned, or replaced.

Laundry

Most washing machines use 40 or more gallons per use, regardless of load size. To save water, wash full loads, or remember to reset your machine to wash smaller loads. For more information on water saving high-efficiency washing machines and residential rebates up to $150, call 1-866-STOKWTR (1-866-786-5987).

Leaks

A slow drip can leak 15 to 20 gallons per day, while a 1/16 inch diameter leak can waste 100 gallons per day. Check your faucets for leaks after firmly turning them off. Older faucet leaks can be repaired by turning off the supply line valve, disassembly, and replacing the washer. More modern “washer-less” faucets may need to have internal parts replaced. If you are uncomfortable with this type of work, contact a plumber.

Toilets are famous for their hidden leaks, and can waste hundreds of gallons a day when undetected. Leaks occur when the operating mechanism is out of adjustment, or parts are worn. Check for leaks periodically.

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Outdoor Water Saving Tips

Lawn Watering Guide

If you are a typical urban California residential water user, nearly half of the water you pay for hits the dirt - your lawn, flower beds, garden. And if you are typical, you can reduce your landscape water use by 20% to 40% without any adverse effects.

USE THE LAWN WATERING GUIDE TO DETERMINE YOUR WATERING NEEDS.
Each sprinkler zone will require separate measurements when you would normally water so that water pressures will be the same.

PLANT WARM SEASON GRASSES.
Watering can be reduced by 20% over the more thirsty cool season grasses. Warm season grasses include varieties of Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Kikuyu grass. Cool season grasses include varieties of Bluegrass, Bent grass, Fescue, and perennial Rye grass. (See Stockton Area Water Efficient Plants guide for more planting ideas.)

GET TO KNOW HOW PLANTS SIGNAL FOR WATER.
Grass tends to lie flat after being stepped on if moisture is low. Some plants lose their gloss and start to droop before wilting. The time to water is when the plants need it - rigid watering schedules waste water.

TRAIN YOUR PLANTS TO DEVELOP DEEP ROOTS.
Water thoroughly but infrequently. Deeper roots will enable plants to utilize moisture deep in the ground - plants will be healthier and stronger.

AVOID WATERING ON WINDY DAYS.
Water early in the morning before 6:00am. Evenings after 8:00pm is second best, but then fungus has all night to attack moist foliage.

ADJUST SPRINKLERS TO WATER PLANTS ONLY.
Do not water the sidewalk, driveway, patio or street. Make sure that each irrigation zone gives plants only the water they actually need. Don’t drown one area in order to get enough water on another.

IF WATER IS FLOWING OFF THE GRASS INTO THE GUTTER.
Split the water time into several smaller time intervals with an hour between to allow the soil time to absorb the water.

WHERE SOIL IS SANDY.
Water may percolate below the grass zone. Compensate by splitting the watering time into  several smaller time intervals with an hour between.

USE A KITCHEN TIMER.
If your sprinklers are not controlled by an automatic timer, use a kitchen timer as a reminder to turn sprinklers off.

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A Simple Way to Determine Your Lawn Water Needs:

1. Set 3 pie pans or coffee mugs at various places on your lawn.
2. Turn on your sprinklers for 15 minutes.
3. Measure the depth of water in each container with a ruler and determine the average water depth - add total and divide by number of containers.
4. Check chart for average depth and read the number of minutes you should water every third day depending on season of the year.

Use these watering times as a guide only. Your lawn may need more water when it's hot, or less when it's cool. Watering can be skipped when it rains. Avoid watering on windy days. Stockton Municipal Code Section 9-712.B(2) prohibits irrigation between 11 am and 6 pm from May 1 through October 31. Prepared with information provided by the California Department of Water Resources.