How to Conserve Water

Tillamook Water Department contact number – 503-842-2343

You can help conserve water.

We can all do our part to lessen the effects of limited water supplies expected this summer. We can start by conserving the water we use today.

Lawn and Garden: 

Outdoor water use accounts for almost half the water used by the American home, and thus provides the greatest single opportunity for conserving.

  • Water early in the morning before 10:00 a.m.  Watering in the heat of the day allows the water to evaporate and watering late in the day may promote fungus and other lawn diseases.
  • Depending on the weather, it’s generally better to water once a week and provide 1 inch to 1 ½ inches of water.  (If it’s hot, you might have to water more often.)
  • Time how long it takes to apply one inch of water by placing a flat-bottomed can about 6-feet away from the sprinkler.
  • Do not mow lawns too short; taller grass requires less water.  Consider letting your lawn brown out.  It will come back.

Repair Leaks: 

Check faucets and hose connections for leaks.  Inspect pipes for pinhole leaks, and leaking joints.  A slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day.  Fix it and you will save almost 6,000 gallons a year.

Showers and Baths: 

Use low volume shower heads.  They are inexpensive and can pay for themselves in water, sewer and energy savings in less than a year.  For a five minute shower they can reduce water usage from some 40 gallons to 12 to 15 gallons.

Toilets: 

Flush only when needed.  Do not use the toilet as a trash can.  Put a water displacement device inside the toilet tank.  Check for leaks.

Clothes Washer and Dishwasher: 

Do only full loads.  Avoid using extra cycles whenever possible.  Choose a water-saving model.

Drinking Water: 

Keep a container of cool water in the refrigerator instead of running the faucet.  Leave the water off when brushing your teeth or shaving.

Garbage Disposal: 

Use the sink disposal sparingly.

Car Washing: 

Rinse car once, wash from bucket, rinse quickly again.  Be sure to use a shut-off nozzle on your hose.

Helpful Links:

Test your plumbing for water loss

Below are instructions on how to check your meter to find out how much water is being lost due to a leak. Knowing the volume of loss will help your leak specialist understand the potential size of the leak. Also, after a leak detection repair is completed, check the meter again to make sure all the leaks have been repaired.

  1. This test should be conducted for a 30-minuted period, during which time no water is being used on the property.
  2. Find your water meter, which is usually located in front of the house in a covered box near the street.
  3. Write down the numbers indicated on the meter at the start of the test.
  4. Return to check the meter reading after 30 minutes have passed.
  5. If the numbers have not changed, you do not have a leak in your presurized water system. If the numbers have changed, continue with the following steps:
  6. Shut off the valves under all toilets in the house and repeat steps 1-4.
  7. If the numbers have not changed, you may have a running toilet that should be serviced. If the numbers have changed, this indicates water consumption even though no water was turned on. You may need a professional leak detection.

To view a video of this procedure, go to the American Leak Detection-Oregon site.

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