Water Conservation Tips

California suffers from cyclical droughts and while San Diego is not currently in a drought it may be sooner than later.  City and state year-round permanent mandatory restrictions have been put in place to help San Diegans make conservation a way of life. Still, many residents are asking how they can do more, above and beyond the permanent mandatory restrictions. As new water restrictions went into effect on June 10, 2022 below are some ways to help conserve on water.

Check for Leaks

•  Finding and repairing water leaks on your property can save you water, which means you save money. One of the ways Bellefontaine residents can help with this is to replace leaky toilet and faucet valves.  As the building ages some of the original components become rigid and allow for leaks.  If you hear your toilet refilling when you haven’t used it, it is an indication that the toilet internals need to be replaced.

Laundry

• When doing the laundry, never wash less than a full load.
• Remove clothes from washer promptly, to avoid having to rinse or wash them a second time.

In the Bathroom

• While waiting for hot water to come through the pipes, catch the cool, clean, water in a bucket or a watering can. You can use it later to water plants, run your garbage disposer or pour into the toilet bowl to flush.
• Replace your regular showerheads with low-flow showerheads.
• Keep your showers down to five minutes or less using a low-flow showerhead.
• Turn the water off while lathering-up in the shower. Then turn the water back on to quickly rinse.
• Take shallow baths, no more than 3 inches of water.
• Replace your older model toilets with new ultra-low-flush models.
• Check your toilets for leaks. Drop a dye tablet or a teaspoon of food coloring (avoid red) in the tank. If color appears in the bowl after 15 minutes, you probably need to replace the “flapper” valve.
• Flush the toilet only when necessary. Never use the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket.
• Never let water run from the faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving.

In the Kitchen

• Hand wash dishes just once a day using the least amount of detergent possible and a dishpan instead of running water. Use a sprayer or short blasts of water to rinse.
• If you have a dishwasher, run it only when you have a full load.
• Scrape food scraps off dishes into the garbage can, or rinse them off with very short blasts of water.
• Never use hot, running water to defrost frozen foods. Plan ahead and place frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or use the microwave oven.
• Rinse vegetables and fruits in a sink or a pan filled with water instead of under running water.