When temperatures drop, water trapped inside outdoor pipes can freeze, resulting in burst pipes and expensive repair bills.
- Winter quarter begins (sewer customers only): Reduce water usage from late December through March to reduce your monthly sewer rate throughout the year.
- High-efficiency toilets: Toilets use 1.28 or less gallons of water per flush.
- Low-flow shower heads: The shower heads delivers 2.5 gallons of water per minute or less. Older shower heads use 5–7 gallons of water.
- Showering: Each minute of showering represents up to 7 gallons of water. Take shorter showers.
- Personal Grooming suggestions: Turn off water while shaving, brushing teeth, or washing face and hands.
- Insulation: Use insulation around water pipes in the meter box/cans. Be sure the meter dial is exposed.
- Mobile homes: Be sure to insulate or use heat tape around pipes under skirting of mobile home.
- Home leak inspections: Check under all sinks inside the home for drips, leaks, wet spots, or bowing of wood at least once a per week.
- Toilet leaks: Drop a teaspoon of red or blue food coloring into the tank. If color appears in the bowl after 15 minutes, have the flapper valve replaced.
- Meter read schedule: Check your bill for the next date the meter is to be read.