I’m sure by now all of you have read the letter from Monarch dated December 12,2008. If you haven’t read it yet, we are basically forbidden from washing the car or watering the yard until further notice. Furthermore, the whole area is trying for a 30% reduction in use. They had some conservation tips on their website which I have noted here for our convenience:
Monarch’s Tips to Save Water Inside Your Home
Bathroom
• Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.
• Take short showers instead of tub baths. Turn off the water while soaping or
shampooing.
• If you must use a tub, close the drain before turning on the water and fill the tub only half full. Bathe small children together.
• Never use your toilet as a waste basket.
Kitchen and Laundry
• Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a basin. Use a vegetable brush.
• Do not use water to defrost frozen foods; thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
• Add food wastes to your compost pile instead of using the garbage disposal.
• Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.
Equipment
• Consider purchasing high-efficiency toilets, or place a plastic container filled with water in the tank of your conventional toilet. Be sure it does not interfere with operation of the toilet’s flush mechanisms.
• Install low-flow faucet aerators and shower heads.
• Consider purchasing a high efficiency washing machine which can save over 50% in laundry water and energy use.
• Repair all leaks. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons per day. To detect leaks in the toilet, add food coloring to the tank water. If the colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking.
