by Ben Lewis, Foothill District Manager for Golden State Water Company

Summer is officially here, bringing with it all the fun activities we look forward to, from backyard cookouts to Fourth of July parades and enjoying time outdoors. It also brings some of the hottest months of the year to our communities and that means our water use and water bills spike due to increased consumption.

Most homes use 50 percent of their water on outdoor landscaping, and this amount can increase dramatically over the summer if residents aren’t using water-efficient practices and equipment.

Golden State Water Company supports a community approach to conserving water because lowering consumption also helps customers save on their monthly water bills.

Golden State Water recognizes and respects the diversity of the residents of Claremont. As your water purveyor, this diversity is reflected in the customers’ water usage. The average residential Claremont customer with a 5/8-inch connection uses roughly 9724 gallons of water per month and pays approximately $62. However customers have varying connection sizes, including 5/8-inch, 1- inch and 2-inch, to accommodate water usage that can range from 7000 to 80,000 gallons of water per month.   To keep customer bills in check, here are some easy ways to reduce consumption and prevent a “summer spike”:  

• Water your yard only before 8 a.m. to reduce evaporation and interference from wind and save 25 gallons per day.

• Install a smart sprinkler controller and save 40 gallons per day.

• Check your sprinkler system for leaks, overspray and broken sprinkler heads and save up to 500 gallons per month.

• Don’t run the hose while washing your car. Use a bucket of water and a quick hose rinse at the end and save as much as 150 gallons each time.

• Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to slow down evaporation and save as much as 1500 gallons a month.

• Use a pool cover to cut down on evaporation and save about 1000 gallons a month.

• Because of the high chance of evaporation, don’t water your lawn on windy days. This can save up to 300 gallons in one watering.

There are also many practices consumers can adopt inside the home:

• Turn off the water when you brush your teeth and save as much as 3 gallons per day.

• Shorten your showers by one or 2 minutes and save 5 gallons per day.

• Fix leaky faucets and save 20 gallons per day.

• Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher and save 300 to 800 gallons a month.

• Install water-saving showerheads or flow restrictors and save 500 to 800 gallons per month.

• Keep a bottle of water in the refrigerator to beat the wasteful habit of running tap water to cool it for drinking and save 200 to 300 gallons a month.

• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks and save 150 gallons or more each time.

• Don’t use the toilet as a wastebasket and save up to 200 gallons of water a month.

People tend to use more water during the hottest summer months, but by following these helpful tips we can all do our part to conserve water. We think that makes sense and hope you agree. 

For more information, please visit our website at www.gswater.com.