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Tips to Reduce Excessive Charges
Home Maintenance Ideas
Tips for Efficient Lawn and Landscape
Irrigation
Home Maintenance Ideas
- Periodically inspect the flush valve and overflow valve in all
the toilets. A test is done by placing a few drops of food
coloring into the tank and waiting approximately 25 minutes,
without flushing the toilet. If you see the food coloring seep
into the bowl, a toilet leak is confirmed. Sometimes a “shimmer”
on the surface of the toilet bowl water will be evident and is
another way to confirm that there is a leak.
The flush valve or “flapper” located in the bottom of the toilet
tank will eventually wear out and require replacement. Upon
replacing the flapper, be sure to have it properly seat against
the contact at the bottom of the tank.
Check the overflow valve for the correct water level in the tank
by removing the tank lid and verifying that the water level is
approximately one inch below the overflow valve. Always make sure
that the water in the tank is not running into the overflow tube.
Normally, the arm of the ball float can be adjusted in order to
bring the water level to the desired height. Check the positioning
of the refill tube in relation to the overflow tube to ensure that
there is no siphoning effect when the tank is refilling.
- During remodeling or toilet replacement consider the use of
1.8-gallon low flow toilets, which use approximately half the
water per flush compared to the conventional types.
- Install aerators on water faucets and showerheads.
- Purchase water efficient washing machines and dishwashers and
operate with only full loads.
- Routinely inspect water back-up sump pumps and repair dripping
faucets.
- Inspect the furnace humidifier overflow valve for excessive
water flow (if equipped).
 Tips for
Efficient Lawn and Landscape Irrigation
- To minimize evaporation, water lawns between 11:00pm and
5:00am during the hottest summer months. Utilize sprinkler rain
shutoff devices to avoid unnecessary watering.
- Review sprinkler manufacturer specifications for gallons per
minute usage in order to establish irrigation guidelines within
your household budget for water consumption.
 Irrigate lawns for a maximum
of 20 minutes per zone every other day during drought periods and
much less for landscape beds. Frequent over watering can actually
be detrimental to your lawn and landscapes.
- Be observant for breaks in underground lines or sprinkler
heads that may contribute to a system leak.
- Mow your grass at a height of approximately three inches or
higher and use a mulching blade so that the clippings act as a
natural fertilizer and also hold in moisture.
- Use a larger part of your yard for landscape beds as opposed
to lawn area. Landscape beds require far less irrigation than
lawns.
- Use plenty of mulch in your landscape beds to hold in moisture
and plant deep-rooted flowers and shrubs that are more drought
resistant.
- Follow the mandatory
odd-even date watering system. Residents with odd numbered
addresses are asked to water outdoors only on the odd numbered
calendar dates, while homeowners with even numbered addresses
should limit outdoor water use to even numbered calendar dates.
Use the last number in your address to determine if you have an
even or odd numbered address. Water during the non-peak hours of
midnight through 5:00am.
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