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Water Conservation for the Home

By installing efficient fixtures, fixing leaks, and following some simple tips, San Francisco residents can reduce water use at home by as much as one-third. Toilets and clothes washers use the most water, but recent studies show that by replacing a single older model toilet with a current model a household can save up to 19,000 gallons of water a year. And a full-size water-efficient washing machine can reduce water use from the 40 gallons used by a standard machine per load to 18 to 25 gallons.

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) offers cash rebates to residential customers when they replace their high-flow toilets with new efficient models. An ENERGY STAR© qualified clothes washer that conserves energy and water also qualifies for energy efficiency rebates offered by Pacific Gas & Electric Company.

The SFPUC website offers invaluable water saving suggestions and tips, like running dishwashers and clothes washers with full loads only, using low flow aerators (available free from the SFPUC) in the kitchen and bathroom, and watering the lawn deeply and less frequently early in the morning or late at night to avoid evaporation.

For more information on the SFPUC's water conservation programs, rebates, and eligibility requirements, contact (415) 551-4730 or visit SFPUC website.

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