Water Conservation

While Suffolk County has a plentiful water supply, water should not be wasted. There are a number of things you can do around your home or business to conserve water and save you money in the process. Remember, you pay for the water that you use.

Outside your home or business

Water your lawn efficiently. Only water once or twice per week, but for longer periods of time. You should put down about 1½ to 2 inches of water per week. See our Lawn Care section for more information.

Make certain that you are not applying water to the street or driveway when watering.

As silly as this might sound, don't water in the rain. If you have an automatic in ground irrigation system, use your manual override to turn off your system in the rain.

Keep your in ground system in good repair. Fix or replace broken sprinkler heads and be mindful of saturated areas in your lawns or gardens. Very wet areas may indicate a leak in your system or that you are overwatering in this area.

Use a trigger nozzle on your outdoor hose. This will automatically shut off the running water when the hose is not in use.

Check outside faucets for leaks. With freezing and thawing, your outside faucets can develop leaks. If a leak exists, have it repaired as soon as possible.

Consider using mulch in your gardens. This helps maintain moisture in the soil and will allow you to water less often. It cuts down on weeding too!

Inside Your Home or Business

Check leaky faucets and have them repaired as soon as possible. Even a small leak can waste over 70 gallons of water a day. If it is the hot water faucet that is leaking, you're also wasting energy (oil, gas, or electric) to heat the leaking water!

Silent leaks in toilets are a big waste of water. You can put vegetable food dye or even the last of the coffee in your coffee pot into the tank (not the bowl) to check for a leak. Let the water sit for a few hours and then check to see if the water in the toilet bowl is discolored. If it is, you have a silent leak! Repair it promptly.

Toilets that run periodically indicate a leaking toilet, another waste of water in need of repair.

Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads. If you must run your washing machine with less than a full load, adjust the water level accordingly.

Consider replacing showerheads with water conserving heads. They've come a long way and now provide a good flow and pressure while conserving water. Also consider replacing faucet aerators with water conserving units.

The way in which you use water on a day-to-day basis can greatly affect the total amount of water you use each day. Please review the chart below and keep it in mind as you use water through the day.