Tips & Resources
Simple and Easy Water Conservation Tips:
- Turn off running water when brushing your teeth, shaving, or cleaning produce. Change this simple habit and you can save more than 100 gallons a week!
- Replace older showerheads with high-efficiency showerheads which can save hundreds of gallons each month.
- Operate washers with full loads, even if machines have varied settings.
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk. An easy way to save hundreds of gallons of water.
- Replace your turf with drought-resistant and native plants.
- Water lawns and plants during the cool part of the day, between 6 pm and 10 am, to reduce evaporation.
- Install a drip irrigation system in your landscaping to reduce runoff and evaporation, and use mulch to reduce moisture evaporation from the soil.
- Detect and fix plumbing leaks inside and outside your home. Contact us for assistance in locating the leak detector on your water meter.
- Install aerators on bathroom and kitchen sinks. Saves 1.2 gallons per person per day.
- Replace your old toilet. New high-efficiency toilet models flush at 1.3 gallons or less compared to older models, which can use up to 7 gallons per flush. And consider dual-flush toilets that have two options: a half-flush for liquid waste and a full-flush for solid waste.
- Replace your clothes washer. High-efficiency clothes washers can reduce water and energy use by 40%.
- Install a water and energy-efficient dishwasher. Saves 3 to 8 gallons per load. If your dishwasher is new, cut back on rinsing. Newer models clean more thoroughly than older ones.
- When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run. Fill one basin with wash water and the other with rinse water.
- Take your vehicle to a self-serve or full-service car wash that uses recycled water instead of washing at home. Not only do car washes save water through treatment and recycling, but it also prevents car wash pollution from entering storm drains and running off into the ocean.
- Make your showers 5 minutes or less. Each minute you cut saves 2.5-5 gallons.
MPWD offers the following to MPWD customers:
- Free low-flow replacement showerheads and low-flow aerators for faucets
- Free dye leak detection tabs and toilet tank banks
- 5-minute shower timers
- 3-gallon water buckets to save running water while your shower/bath water is warming up
- Toilet flapper valves
- Home Water Use Report – Free online water management tool Click Here
- Leak detection guide to help you find possible sources of indoor or outdoor leaks Click Here
Rebate programs available to MPWD Customers (click here for more info ›)
- Lawn Be Gone Rebate Program
- Rain Barrel Rebate Program
- Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller Instant Rebate Program
- Irrigation Hardware Rebates
Additional Water Conservation Tips
BAWSCA (Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency) drought information and water conservation resources. Click Here
Save Our Water is a statewide, water conservation program created in 2009 by the Association of California Water Agencies and the California Department of Water Resources. The program’s goal is to make water conservation a daily habit among Californians. Click Here
State Water Board Drought Year Water Actions. Click Here
Water Use It Wisely: 100+ Ways to Conserve. Click Here
Stay informed about the water infrastructure projects happening in your community at QuenchCA. Click Here
Get the facts about greywater from BAWSCA. Download PDF Here
Compare Your Water Usage
| Activity | Normal Use | Conservation Use |
|---|---|---|
| Shower | 25-50 Gallons Water running (5 gallons per min) |
2.5 Gallons per min. or less Low flow showerhead |
| Brushing Teeth | 10 Gallons Tap running (3 gallons per min) |
1/2 - 1 Gallon We brush, rinse briefly |
| Tub Bath | 36 Gallons Full tub (3 gallons per min) |
10-12 Gallons Minimal water level |
| Shaving | 20 Gallons Tap running (3 gallons per min) |
1 Gallon Fill basin |
| Washing Hands | 2 Gallons Tap running (3 gallons per min) |
1 Gallon Fill basin |
| Toilet Flushing | 4-7 Gallons Standard toilet |
1.6 Gallons Low consumption toilet |
| Dishwashing | 30 Gallons Tap running (3 gallons per min) |
5 Gallons Wash and rinse |
| Automatic Dishwasher | 16 Gallons Full cycle per load |
7 Gallons Short cycle per load |
| Washing Machine | 50-60 Gallons Standard per load |
20-25 Gallons Water efficient per load |
| Outdoor Watering | 10 Gallons (per min) Average hose |
Lowest Priority Minimize/Eliminate |
Tips for Water Conservation in Your Lawn and Garden
It may surprise you to learn that 40 percent or more of household water is used outdoors. Here are a few conservation tips for your lawn and garden:
- Longer grass shades the soil, encourages deeper roots and saves water. Set your lawn mower for a higher trim setting.
- Check your landscaping often for leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets, sprinklers and couplings. Small leaks can add up to large water loss. Contact us for assistance in locating the leak detector on your water meter.
- Use drip irrigation systems for plants and gardens. Drip irrigation can be up to 90% more efficient than conventional irrigation systems.
- During the winter and wet weather, your landscape requires much less water than in the summer, so let Mother Nature do the watering! As the weather heats up, increase your weekly water schedule by adding a day or click here to view our proposed Smart Irrigation Schedule.
- The time of day you water is also an important factor. We recommend watering before 9 am or after 7 pm to minimize evaporation.
- Get rid of weeds, which compete with your ornamental plants for water.
- Don't use water on gutters, sidewalks, and driveways. Position sprinklers so water only covers lawn and plants. Use a broom to clean off paved areas.
- Use mulch around trees and plants. It will slow evaporation and discourage weed growth.
- Plant drought-tolerant and native plants that require little water along with a drip irrigation system.
- Utilize the popular Lawn-Be-Gone Rebate Program to replace turf with more water-efficient landscaping. Click here for more information and an application.
- For tips and tools on how to design your new water-efficient landscape, check out the Water Wise Gardening program here.
Water-efficient habits will result in a healthier lawn and garden, in addition to conserving water and saving money!
Leak Detection
Mid-Peninsula Water District (MPWD) urges all water customers to be proactive in searching out leaks both inside and outside of your household on a regular basis. Not only will it save water and money, but prevent larger problems and expenses that may develop in the future. Remember, even a small leak left undetected or unfixed can waste precious gallons of water.
MPWD offers an online Leak Detection Tool that offers a step-by-step guide on finding sources of possible leaks within your home or property.
For further questions, or if you would like to request free dye leak detection tabs, please email MPWD at info@midpeninsulawater.org or visit our office at 3 Dairy Lane, Belmont, CA 94002.
New Meters Catch Leaks Faster
As of 2019, the MPWD has completed installation of new Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) water meters for all customers. All 8,000 plus water customer accounts now have water meters that broadcast their water use information to the District several times a day via radio frequency. This water use data from all of our customers allows the District to gather consumption information more quickly for billing purposes, reduce the potential for human error during meter reading, and reach out to customers when a water meter sees unusual water use that might indicate a substantial, unknown water leak. In addition, MPWD customers now have access to their water use data online in order to manage water use on a real-time basis HERE. Simply sign up to take advantage of this feature.
The new water meters still require maintenance from time to time, but no longer require the District staff to manually read each meter monthly, allowing them to focus more of their time on other important water system maintenance matters.