Pasadena Saves Water

A water conservation resource for Pasadena's water-wise

Program News & Events

Other Water News & Resources

Top Tips for Saving Water

Outdoor Water Conservation

Don't water lawns while it is raining
Don't overwater lawns - one to three times a week is enough
Promptly repair broken sprinklers, faucet and toilet leaks
Use a broom - not a hose - to clean driveways and pavement
Talk to friends and neighbors and ask them to help save water

Indoor Water Conservation

Talk to friends and neighbors and ask them to help save water
Take shorter showers - 5 minutes or less
Turn off the faucet when brushing teeth or shaving
Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes
Install water-efficient fixtures and appliances - get rebates!

PWP's "H2O Academy"

Educational Tools and Resources for Water-Smart Pasadenans

Videos

View PWP video shorts on a number of water conservation topics: turf removal before & after, drip irrigation, leak detection, programming your irrigation controller, understanding your bill, & more.

Workshops

Register for free workshops from PWP and its partners. Topics include turf removal, rainwater harvesting, native plants & more

"Pasadena's Water-Smart Landscaping Guide"

Get inspired and plan your own Pasadena-friendly garden with "Pasadena's Water-Smart Landscaping Guide,” custom-made just for Pasadena. Find photos of hundreds of water-saving plants, get watering and plant-care tips, take virtual garden tours, and save favorites to help you create your dream water-smart landscape.

"H2OUSE" Virtual Home Tour

Find out how much water is used in and around the home, and set a customized water budget for yours!

"What do YOU Know About H2O?"

Discover age-appropriate water education materials and curricula for Kindergarten through College and teachers, presented by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and regional partners.

Other Recommended Resources to Help You Understand Water and Save

All About Your Water From PWP - Water quality, planning documents, city ordinances, rates, service requirements, meters, etc.
Arlington Garden Water smart demonstration garden sponsored in part by PWP and Pasadena Public Waters
Video: Make Your Own Rainwater Collection Barrel - Pasadena resident Dan Sharp shows you how
"Lose The Lawn: 14 Inspiring Landscapes" - Sunset Magazine
California Friendly plants from www.BeWaterWise.com
Invasive species to avoid
Watering Calculator and Watering Index from www.BeWaterWise.com
University of California Guide to Healthy Lawns
California Urban Water Conservation Council
California Water Awareness Campaign

Get Water Smart!

If everyone in Southern California cuts outdoor watering by JUST ONE DAY A WEEK, we could save as much as 73 BILLION GALLONS a year -- the same amount of water that Anaheim, Burbank, Long Beach and Pasadena use in a year.

PWP, like most utilities, bills in units of one hundred cubic feet (HCF). One HCF equals 748 gallons. How many gallons do you use per month

People in Pasadena use more water on lawn and landscaping irrigation than for for any other purpose. Most people overwater their lawns by 50-70%.

Pasadena gets 65% of its water from Northern California and Colorado River imports.

According to a 2005 report from the California Department of Water Resources, 19% of all energy consumed in the state is related to the pumping and sanitation of water.

Knowledge is power. Learn more about Pasadena's water supply, quality and safety with these FAQs

"Savvy Saver" Water Conservation Checklist

General lawn and garden care
Sprinkler systems
Drip irrigation
Pools and spas
Household measures
Toilet valve adjustments and leaks
When away from home

General Lawn and Garden Care

sprinkler Things we can do to adapt outside water use to the natural cyclical dry conditions as well as save money:

Water only enough to keep plants and lawns healthy -- overwatering makes root systems weak and vulnerable to disease. That usually means up to 3 days per week in the warm season, and about 1 day per week in the cool season.
In accordance with the city's water waste prohibitions, watering is permitted only before 9.am. and after 6 p.m to avoid evaporation and spraying from wind. (Watering by hand/hose, drip irrigation or "smart" controller is exempt from this prohibition.)
To avoid over-watering, check the weather reports, and give your sprinklers a break a few days before and after it rains. (Watering during rain is also prohibited by city ordinance.)
Consider native and drought-tolerant plants and grasses when making landscape choices and adjust your watering to take advantage of the less-thirsty plants.
Visit www.bewaterwise.com and use the customized watering calculator and watering index to determine how much water your yard needs.
Most people over water by as much as 50%.
Don't overwater in cooler months. Turf species like Marathon, St. Augustine and Bermuda are designed to go dormant and usually require watering only once per week or less during winter.
Step on your grass. If it springs back when you lift your foot, it doesn't need water. Reduce the number of days your automatic sprinklers run during the cooler months between October and April. Be sure to turn your automatic sprinklers off on rainy days.
Water your lawn during the cool times of the day before 8:00 a.m. and preferably on less windy days. Early morning is better than dusk. As much as 30 percent of water can be lost to evaporation by watering the lawn during midday. Less watering means less prolific growth, therefore less mowing and fertilizer is needed.
Set lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer grass means less evaporation
Adjust your automatic sprinklers so that water lands only on your lawn or garden where it belongs and not on the sidewalk or street.
If you have an evaporative air conditioner, direct the water drain line to a flowerbed, tree base or lawn.
Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slow evaporation.
Consider reusing some household water to irrigate your landscaping by using a gray water system or by using a bucket.
Irrigate with Rainwater! Make Your Own Rainwater Collection Barrel: It's easy, and it's a great way to get every last drop out of every last drop!
Aside from micro-climatology, soil type, slope and shade are major factors to consider when scheduling irrigation and choosing fertilizers.
Download these guidelines on lawn watering and water conservation for gardens and lawns, provided free from the experts at the University of California's Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. A full catalog of their expert advice can be found here...

Sprinkler Systems

PERMANENT WATER WASTE PROHIBITIONS:
- TURN OFF YOUR SPRINKLERS WHEN IT RAINS AND EVERY DAY BETWEEN 9 AM AND 6PM.
- FIX ERRANT SPRINKLERS AND LEAKS WITHIN 7 DAYS.
- Read more about the city's ordinance against water waste.
Consider installing a weather based "smart" irrigation controller, and get a $200 rebate.
Replace old sprinkler heads with efficient rotator nozzles that distribute water at the proper rate and ensure greater uniformity. Get a $6 rebate on each.
Get your irrigation system tuned up for efficiency. When was the last time you actually watched all the sprinklers in action? Are you sure there aren't any geysers coming out of your front yard?
Adjust the timer on automatic sprinklers according to seasonal water demands and weather conditions. Install a rain shut-off device on automatic sprinklers so you're not watering when the ground is already wet.
Check sprinkler system valves periodically for leaks. Keep the heads in good repair.
Avoid sprinklers that spray a fine mist, which increases evaporation.
Make sure your sprinkler is placed so it only waters the lawn, not the pavement.
Install efficient rotating sprinkler nozzles and get a rebate from PWP.

Drip Irrigation

Install a drip irrigation system for watering gardens, trees and shrubs.
Drip irrigation provides a slow, steady trickle of water to plants at their roots through a network of pipes and hoses.
The systems are regulated by a controller that can be adjusted for different levels of watering according to the needs of the plants.
Drip irrigation systems reduce over-watering, inefficient watering, weed growth, and the time and labor involved in hand watering.

Pools and Spas

Consider installing a pool cover to save energy and money. As much as 70 percent of a pool's heat loss is caused by evaporation. It also will keep your pool or spa cleaner and reduce the need to add chemicals.
You can save substantially by reducing your pool's water temperature and the number of months you heat your pool.
Keep your pool's cleaning and heating equipment clean and lubricated to make it as efficient as possible.
Switch your pool filter and sweeper operations to off-peak hours - hours other than hot summer afternoons, when electricity use is high and prices increase. If you have a time-of-use meter, this can save you money. Off-peak hours are between 6 p.m. and noon weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday.
Shorten the operating time for your swimming pool filter and- if your pool has one - your automatic cleaning sweep. In the winter, two hours a day of filtering could cut your filter's energy use by 40 percent to 50 percent, yet keep your pool clean.

Household Measures

If you wash your car at home, don't leave the hose running - use a nozzle with an automatic shut off and save 10 gallons per minute.
Use a broom on driveways, sidewalks and patios instead of washing them down with a hose - save as much as 150 gallons per use.
Take shorter showers - cut your shower time by 2 minutes and save 5 gallons every time you shower
A typical bathroom faucet uses 6 gallons per minute. Turn off your faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Fix faucet leaks- a steady dripping leak wastes 15-20 gallons per minute.
Check your water meter to see if there are any leaks. If it's spinning and there's no water being used, there is probably an undetected leak somewhere.
While waiting for the shower to warm up, catch the cold water in a container to use on outside plants.
When washing dishes by hand - if you have two sinks fill one with rinse water, if you only have one sink, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run.
Use the garbage disposal less and garbage can more.
Don't use your toilets as a wastepaper basket.
Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. If you only have a few dishes, it's better to wash them in the sink.
Replace your older toilet with a High Efficiency Toilet (HET) that flushes 1.28 gpf or less. PWP offers rebates for qualifying HETs.Click here for more details.
Select a high-efficiency clothes washer when replacing your old machine, PWP offers rebates for qualifying models. Click here for more details.
Check to see if your toilets are leaking. Put some food coloring in the tank and see if it enters the bowl without flushing. If it does, try replacing the flapper.
Install a new water-efficient showerhead. It saves water and energy costs to heat the water.
If your automatic water softener recharges using a time clock, be sure it isn’t recharging too frequently and remember to turn it off when you go away for a few days.

Toilet Valve Adjustment and Leaks

Periodically check your toilets operation to catch problems with valve adjustment or worn equipment. A helpful six (6) page text and graphically illustrated manual is available in the Adobe PDF format.

When Away from Home...

When eating at a restaurant, let your server that if you want water, you'll ask for it. (Pasadena's anti water-waste ordinance prohibits serving water unless the customer specifically requests it.)
When taking your car to a car wash, be sure it's one that recycles its wash water.
When staying at a hotel or motel, indicate to housekeeping that you prefer to keep your linens and towels for multiple nights, and that when you do need laundry service, you will call housekeeping.
Take a look at how water is used at your workplace and consider suggesting some of these same ideas to management.

Pasadena Water & Power