Fall and Winter

Water usage usually increases during the spring and summer months. Utilize the below hints to save water and money on your water billing.

• Water the lawn in the early morning and evening when there is less evaporation.
  
• Adjust your sprinklers so they don’t water the sidewalk, driveway, or street.
  
• Limit or avoid watering on windy, cool, overcast or rainy days. Adjust or deactivate automatic sprinklers.
  
• To prevent or slow evaporation set lawn blade mowers one notch higher and use mulch to cover bare ground in gardens and around trees.

HELPFUL WATER USAGE INFORMATION 

Spring and Summer 

Cold temperatures cause water to freeze and expand – which could cause the pipe or meter to burst. Proper precautions now should help you avoid these winter perils. Pipes that freeze are usually exposed to severe cold, such as outdoor hose bibs, water sprinkler lines and water supply pipes in unheated interior areas such as basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages, closets and

• Notify the Water Department if your home is vacant and not heated.
• Disconnect the garden hose.
  
• If you do not have a “frost proof” sillcock – close the valve inside the wall on the pipe supplying the hose connection. Then open the faucet to let it drip dry.
  
• Winterize automatic sprinkler systems.
  
• Caulk around the foundation and insulate cracks to seal any leaks that allow cold air inside where pipes are located.
  
• Locate and properly insulate hot and cold water pipes most susceptible to freezing (those near outer walls, in unheated crawl spaces, or in attics). Building supply retailers stock specific products made to insulate water pipes such as a pipe sleeve or installing UL-listed heating tape or cable. Follow manufacturer's recommendations for installing and using these products. Newspaper can provide some degree of insulation and protection to exposed pipes.
  
• Keep the heat on and set no lower than 55° to prevent the pipes/meter from freezing.
  
• Open cabinet or closet doors or remove ceiling tiles so warm air can reach your pipes and water meter.Move any harmful substances out of reach of children.
  
• Let the cold water trickle if the temperature dips below freezing. Faucets farthest from the street should be the ones left running.
  
• To maintain higher temperatures, add insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces.
  
• Know where your water shut off valve is located and that it is in working condition. To help you determine where a water shut-off valve is, locate the outside water line that leads to the home. The water line usually flows directly from the water meter to a location inside the home. In many homes , it is included with the internal pipes running against exterior walls or where water service enters a home through the foundation.
• On a mobile home, check the skirting around your mobile home before winter to make certain it is not falling down in any areas. You will also want to look for any openings in your skirting. Repair any damage you find before winter to keep cold air from breezing past the skirting and straight to your pipes.