As temperatures rise, Illinois
American Water encourages customers to use water wisely
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[July 13, 2019]
With temperatures rising across the state, Illinois American Water
is reminding customers to use water wisely.
“From keeping hydrated to playing in water sprinklers, as well as
running air conditioning and watering lawns, water plays an
important role in warm-weather fun and responsibilities. We are
proud of the service we provide and want to be sure folks are using
water wisely,” said Mike Smyth, vice president of operations.
The following tips from Illinois American Water can help consumers
use water more efficiently, plus identify and prevent leaks, a
significant source of water waste.
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Water your lawn only when it needs it. An easy way to tell is to
simply walk across the grass. If it springs back you don't need
to water, but if you leave footprints, it’s time to water.
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Set
your lawn mower one notch higher to make your lawn more
drought-tolerant.
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Consider using drip irrigation or a rain barrel to water your
outdoor plants, and water in the early morning or in the
evening. As much as 30% of water can be lost to evaporation by
watering midday.
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Use
a broom instead of a hose to clean your sidewalk, driveway or
patio.
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Forego the hose and wash your car with a bucket and sponge
instead, which uses only a few gallons to do the job, while a
hose left running can waste as much as six gallons per minute.
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Run
dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are full and
adjust the water level of your washing machine to match the load
size. If you have a water-saver cycle, use it. In addition,
newer, high-efficiency washing machines use less than 27 gallons
of water per load, compared to between 27 and 54 gallons a load
with traditional machines.
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Keep
a pitcher of cold tap water in the refrigerator. You will avoid
the cost and environmental impact of bottled water and you will
have cold water available for warm days without running the
faucet.
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A
short shower is better than a bath. A full bathtub can require
up to 70 gallons of water, while taking a 5- minute shower uses
only 10 to 25 gallons.
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Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save 8 gallons
per day.
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Regularly check your toilet, faucets and pipes for leaks and
have them fixed promptly. An easy test for toilet leaks from EPA
WaterSense: Place a drop of food coloring in the tank. If the
color tints the water in the bowl without flushing, there is a
leak.
More wise water use tips can be found online here -
https://tinyurl.com/y9nrz5c5.
About Illinois American Water - Illinois American Water, a
subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest
investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality
and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.3
million people. American Water also operates a customer service
center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in
Belleville. With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is
the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded
water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than
7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based
drinking water, wastewater and other related services to more than
14 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean,
affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure
we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com
[Karen Cotton] |