Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to boil my water?
The advisory follows a water main break. Customers are asked to bring water used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, bathing, and food preparation to a full boil for a minimum of one minute, then cool before use. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms that may be present in the water. This is a safety precaution and we advise that you boil your water for up to 48 hours after you’ve lost water. If you have any more questions concerning this, feel free to contact us.
How can I save money on my water bill?
Start saving money on your water bill with these six simple steps:
- Store cold water in the fridge. Instead of running the tap and waiting for the water to cool off each time you want a cold glass of water, fill up a pitcher or two and store them in your refrigerator. This works well if you use a pitcher with a water filter attached.
- Take shorter showers. By reducing the time you shower by just four minutes, you can save almost 4,000 gallons of water per year. Focus on getting in and getting out. This can save as much as $100 on an annual basis and may help you save money on other utility bills, such as gas and electricity.
- Don't let the water run when shaving or brushing your teeth. Don’t make this mistake, since it’s a complete waste of water. To rinse off your razor while shaving, just keep a cup of hot water next to you and dip it in every so often. When brushing your teeth, fill up your rinse cup and turn off the faucet.
- Install a low-flow shower head. Installing a low-flow shower head can reduce the amount of water you use while showering by as much as 50 percent.
- Run full loads of dishes and laundry. If you load your dishwasher properly, you’ll fit in as much dishes as possible. Running it only when it's full reduces the number of times you need to run it. Likewise, to save water when doing laundry, only run the washer when you have a full load of dirty clothes.
- Don't hand-wash dishes. You use 1/6 less water by running a full load in the dishwasher. When you're rinsing your dishes before they go in, don't run the tap. Instead, fill up a container with a small amount of water and rinse off all the excess from your dishes with that.
If you ever notice a short-term increase on your bill, don’t hesitate to contact your local water department. There could be a leak, or it could simply be due to an incorrect reading, after all, these things happen. If there is an error or a leak, you and the water department can work together to do what needs to be done to get it fixed as soon as possible. If it isn’t pointed out, then it cannot be fixed.
When it comes to saving money, leave no stone unturned. Saving only $25 a month will save you $300 a year!
https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2012/10/16/6-simple-ways-to-save-money-on-your-water-bill