Newport Water reminds our customers to Use Water Wisely

Water is vital to each of us every day. The average person uses 60 gallons of water per day. For the average American household, 30% of the water used is devoted to outdoor water use and more than half of that is used for watering lawns and gardens. Because of increasing demands for water combined with potential drought conditions, Newport water has seen conditions where our available water supply has been reduced to extremely low levels.

When we use water wisely we not only maintain a safe water supply, but we also keep our individual water, sewer and heating costs down. The problem is not what we use water for, but the fact that we use more than we need. Here are some tips to help everyone use water wisely:

• Check for leaks by checking the reading on your water meter and then turn off all water fixtures for one hour. Go back and check the reading on your meter - if it has changed, you have a leak.
• Fix leaky faucets. A leaky faucet can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day. If the water is hot, you are heating the water before you waste it, which can be very expensive. Replace worn out washers or "O" rings which are usually the cause for leaking faucets.
• Check for leaks in your toilet. This is where most household water is wasted. A leak in a toilet can sometimes be detected by a trickling sound - but it can also leak silently. Place a dye tablet or a few drops of food coloring in the tank. Wait 15 minutes, if colored water appears in the bowl, your flapper or flush valve may need to be replaced.
• If you do not already have water efficient or low flow fixtures, then install water saving devices that are available on the market today such as retro-fit aerators, flow regulators and water displacement devices.
• The best time to water your yard is early morning, when winds are calm and temperatures are cool. Make sure sprinkler is set properly in order to avoid watering sidewalks and driveways.
• Grass doesn't need to be watered every day; make sure your lawn really needs it before irrigating. If you can stick a screwdriver into your lawn easily- don't water!
• Use a rain barrel under a roof gutter downspout to collect water for outdoor use.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways, walks, and patios.

Newport Water offers free Conservation Kits- March 2011

Because water is such a precious natural resource, we encourage our customers to use it wisely.

To help you conserve water, the Newport Water Division has a limited number of water conservation kits available free to its customers. These conservation kits include two bathroom sink aerators, one kitchen swivel aerator, one water saving showerhead, one toilet water saver fill cycle diverter, and other water saving tips.

These kits can help reduce your water use by up to 25 percent and help you control costs on your water and sewer bills. The more you conserve, the more you save!

To request your Conservation Kit, please contact the Newport Water Division by email at utilitybilling@cityofnewport.com. We will just need to know the service address where the conservation kit will be installed. The Conservation Kits will be available for pick up after this request is received, at the Water Division offices located at 70 Halsey Street in Newport.

For more water conservation tips check the following sites:

www.wrb.ri.gov/education

www.epa.gov/watersense