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Water, "Our Most Precious Resource"
WATER EFFICIENCY ACTIVITIES -- 2006/2007
PCWA Energy Star®
Clothes Washer Rebate Program. PCWA
applied for and received assistance from the United States
Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) to conduct an Energy Star®
Clothes Washer Rebate Program. PCWA was awarded $10,000
from the USBR and PCWA has approved a matching $10,000
for a total program of $20,000. The approval date was
July 14, 2006, so rebates can be retroactive to that approval
date. Click
here for further information.
SOUTH PLACER WASTEWATER
AUTHORITY TOILET REBATE PROGRAM. New!
This program offer is for a $75
rebate to replace older 3 gallon or more flush toilets
with new 1.6 gallon or less ultra low flush toilets in
the South Placer Wastewater Authority (SPWA) territory
within Placer County. PCWA supplies water to customers
in the SPWA territory and has been offered $15,000 in
matching rebate funds for Ultra Low Flush Toilets. Toilets
must be purchased after July 1, 2005. The terms of the
agreement are good until June 30, 2007.
Agency Wide Toilet Rebate
Program. New!
This program offer is
for a $75 rebate to replace older 3 gallon or more flush
toilets with new 1.6 gallon or less ultra low flush toilets
for all customers in the PCWA servicea area. The toilet
rebate program is partially funded by a grant from the
United States Bureau of Reclamation. 200 rebates will
be available on a first come, first served basis.
200
Rebates Available.
AN APPLICATION
IS REQUIRED. Call the Placer County
Water Agency, Customer Service Office, at 530-823-4850
or 800-464-0030 and request an application.
WATER WISE HOUSE & BUSINESS CALLS. Our trained
technicians will come to your home, business, apartment
house or mobile home park and check for leaks and give
you customized water-use tips, outdoor irrigation check
ups and provide watering schedules.
During the call, we will
- Check the toilets for leaks and replace toilet flapper
valves, if needed, and requested.
- Measure the shower head flow rates and install free
shower heads, if needed, and requested.
- Measure faucet flow rates and provide faucet aerators
for kitchens and bathrooms.
- Evaluate the efficiency of the irrigation system.
- Provide an irrigation watering schedule.
- Identify irrigation leaks, broken or mismatched
sprinkler heads, high pressure and other common problems.
- Provide water efficiency program materials and water-wise
landscaping tips.
LARGE LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION SURVEYS.
The Agency will fund services to complete 40 large landscape
water surveys, irrigated areas over one acre. The certified
Landscape Irrigation Auditor will schedule, survey and complete
a follow up to assessment with recommendations and detailed
water yield analysis. In addition, the Regional Water Authority
has Prop 13 grant money available for large landscape improvement
incentives for qualified accounts.
WATER EDUCATION PROGRAM.
The Water Education Foundation has agreed to provide
professional services and related educational materials
for a school education program. PCWA will sponsor two WET
(Water Education for Teachers) workshops, in conjunction
with the Placer Nature Center, that would reach 40 teachers.
In addition, one California Water Curriculum Workshop will
be offered, in conjunction with the Placer County Office
of Education, that would reach 20 educators. The educational
materials include a "Water Facts Slide Guide"
and the brochure "California Water Facts".
IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT SERVICE.
The program is starting with small number of agriculture
customers in 2005 and will be expanded in future years.
Installation of soil probes will allow soil moisture monitoring.
The agricultural customer is notified on a weekly basis
of irrigation scheduling using CIMIS station Eto data. The
IMS program is partially funded by a grant from the United
States Bureau of Reclamation.
CALIFORNIA IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT
INFORMATION SERVICE (CIMIS). The Board of Directors
has approved the installation of two CIMIS stations in Placer
County in 2005/2006. CIMIS weather stations collect weather
data on a minute to minute basis, as well as calculate hourly
and daily values to be used for determining the irrigation
schedules for crops and landscapes. The new CIMIS Program
will be a joint collaboration between the Agency, Department
of Water Resources, University of California Cooperative
Extension and Placer County Agriculture Department.
All questions should be directed to the Placer County Water
Agency, Customer Service office at 530-823-4850 or 800-464-0030.
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Water is one of our most precious resources. Developing water wise habits is something we can all do to help ensure a water supply for future generations in Placer County.
Water Efficiency Information
More Information
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Where We Use Water
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The average U.S. household uses 350 gallons of water per
day, according to the American Water Works Association.
Depending on the region, households typically use 20 to
62 percent of that total outdoors on lawns, pools and such.
Saving water outdoors, then, can really make a difference.
Indoors, homeowners can reduce water use by about 30 percent
by installing more-efficient water fixtures and regularly
checking for leaks. Here's where the water goes in our homes.
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Outdoor Water
Efficiency Tips
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- Get some exercise and save water, too! Use a broom or rake rather than spray water to clean driveways, sidewalks or patios.
- Water landscaping only between midnight and 10 a.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day and when water is lost to evaporation. However, since the hours of 5 to 8 a.m. are peak indoor water use times, try to avoid programming your timer for those morning hours.
- Avoid operating your irrigation system on windy days, since a large amount of water will be wasted to over spray and evaporation.
- Turn off sprinkler systems when it is raining. After it rains, the lawns may not need to be watered for three or more days. Check to make sure the soil is dry before watering. A simple tool or soil probe can help you check. Too much water keeps oxygen from the roots, and plants need oxygen to grow.
- Inspect irrigation systems regularly for clogged spray heads, leaks or stuck
valves.
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Indoor Water
Efficiency Tips
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- Run the dishwasher and the washing machine only when you have a full load.
- Fix toilet leaks. To determine whether your toilet is leaking, add food coloring to the tank water and let it sit 15 minutes. If the food coloring appears in the bowl, there's a leak.
- Turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth. Faucets can flow at 2 to 3 gallons per minute.
- Replace older toilets (pre 1992) with low flush models. The
new low flush toilets use less than half as much water as older
models.
- Install new low flow showerheads and low flow faucets. Showerheads that were manufactured after 1994 must use no more than 2.5 gallons per minute.
- Make your next clothes washer a water and energy saver. You can cut your water and energy usage in half with the new efficient clothes washers.
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Why Should I
Conserve Water?
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- Water is vital to life. Without it, we cannot survive.
- The amount of water on earth has not changed since the
earth was created; the current supply is all we will ever
have.
- Water is the foundation of our food chain; using water efficiently
will ensure an adequate supply of water for irrigation.
- Saving water reduces the energy it takes to process and deliver water, reducing and conserving fuel sources.
- Saving water means having water available for recreational uses for years to come.
- Using water efficiently minimizes the effects of water shortages and helps build supplies against future drought years.
- Using water efficiently now ensures water for future generations to come.
- Proper application of irrigation water will enhance the appearance of your landscape and could prevent water waste due to run off.
- Using water efficiently relates to saving money!
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How Can I Prevent
Water Waste?
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Definition of water waste: Water is wasted when it is allowed to flow down the drain without having first fulfilled a useful purpose.
Monitoring your irrigation controller and doing weekly irrigation system maintenance is critical. Follow the steps below to minimize or eliminate water waste.
- Once a week, monitor your irrigation system checking
for leaks, improperly adjusted sprinklers, or broken pipes
and valves. Shut down the system, then make repairs.
- Read the instructions and become familiar with your automatic irrigation controller. Make a list or diagram of each station, include the run time and scheduled days. Keep this information near your controller for a quick reference.
- Some soil conditions or the slope of the area to be watered will require multiple start times. If water is running off, try three short periods of irrigation instead of one long period. This will allow the water to soak into the soil and minimize or eliminate run off.
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Other Helpful Water Related Websites
New site! Virtual Home Tour at the California Urban Water Conservation Council Website.
WaterWiser. A learning program at the American Water Works Association Website.
For Kids. Educational information for children at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Website.
Water Calculator. A tool that helps you estimate the right amount of water to give your landscape or garden Water Calculator
Documents are provided as PDF files which can be viewed and printed
through Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free software. Please click on the
image below if you do not currently have Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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