Although our system has an adequate amount of water to meet present and future demands, there are a number of reasons why it is important to conserve water:

• Saving water conserves a precious resource;
• Saving water reduces the cost of energy required to pump water and the need to construct costly new wells, pumping systems and water towers; and
• Saving water lessens the strain on the water system during a dry spell or drought, helping to avoid severe water use restrictions that would otherwise be necessary to provide for essential firefighting capability.

You can play a role in conserving water by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household is using and by looking for ways to use less water whenever possible.  It is not hard to conserve water.  Conservation tips include:

• Automatic dishwashers use 15 gallons for every cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded.  So get a run for your money and load it to capacity.
• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.
• Check every faucet in your home for leaks.  Just a slop drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day.  Fix it and you can save almost 6,000 gallons a year.
• Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank and watching for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl.  It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these otherwise invisible toilet leaks.  Fix it and you save more than 30,000 gallons a year.
• Use you water meter to detect hidden leaks.  Simply turn off all taps and water using appliances and then check the meter after 15 minutes.  If the numbers on the meter register move, you have a leak.

Other conservation measures you can take include:

• Use low flow shower heads - save 2 gallons per minute or more
• Don't flush toilets unnecessarily - use a wastebasket for tissues, etc.
• Use a toilet dam or install a low flush model toilet
• Water your lawn late at night to avoid evaporation loss
• Don't cut the lawn too short - longer grass saves water
• Mulch your trees and plants to retain moisture