California Pollution Control Financing Authority ...
Transcript of California Pollution Control Financing Authority ...
Sponsored by:
The City of Willits, CA
Willits citizens and business interests
California Pollution Control Financing Authority
Sustainable Communities Grant
For more information call 707-459-4601 or email [email protected]
Sponsored by:
The City of Willits, CA
California Pollution Control Financing Authority
Sustainable Communities Grant
Willits citizens and business interests
Install an “on-demand” tankless water heater for your
bathroom shower, sink and bathtub so you don't have
to let the water run while it heats up. This will save
water and energy.
• Install a high-efficiency (HE) shower head that uses
1.75 gallons per minute.
• Time your shower to keep it under 5 minutes.
• Turn the water off while you shampoo and condition
your hair.
• Install a high-efficiency (HE) dual flush toilet that uses
less water for flushing liquid waste than for solid waste.
• Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the
toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak.
• Check if your toilet flapper sticks open after flushing.
• If your toilet was installed prior to 1980, place a toilet
dam or bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to cut
down on the amount of water used for each flush. Be
sure these devices do not interfere with operating
parts.
• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
• Turn off the water while you shave.
• Take showers instead of baths. Or limit your baths to
once a week. A bath uses four times as much water as
a shower.
• Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, then
adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.
• Bathe your young children together.
• Keep a bucket in the shower to catch the cold water
before it warms up. Use this water to flush toilets or
water plants.
Bathtub
Toilet
Water Heater
Shower
Sink
For more information call 707-459-4601 or email [email protected]
Sponsored by:
The City of Willits, CA
California Pollution Control Financing Authority
Sustainable Communities Grant
Willits citizens and business interests
Washing Dishes
Other
Preparing Food•For cold drinks keep a pitcher of water in the
frigerator instead of running the tap. This way, every
drop goes down you and not the drain.
•Wash your produce in the sink or a pan that is partially
filled with water instead of running water from the tap.
•Collect the water you use for rinsing produce and
reuse it to water houseplants.
•Don't use running water to thaw food.
•Cook food in as little water as possible. This will also
retain more of the nutrients.
•Select the proper size pans for cooking. Large pans
require more cooking water than may be necessary.
•Throw trimmings and peelings from fruits and
vegetables into your yard compost to prevent from
using the kitchen sink garbage disposal.
•When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run
while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other
with rinse water.
•Try what some Europeans – and Americans – do. Fill
up one sink basin with mildly soapy water (only 4
gallons). Scrape all food bits from the dirty dishes into
the trash can. Then soak, wash and rinse your dishes in
that one sink of water, without running any more water.
The mildly soapy washwater will drip off and evaporate
in the dishrack as designed, leaving squeaky clean
dishes without any noticeable residue.
•Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost instead
and save gallons every time.
•Designate one glass for your drinking water each day.
This will cut down on water used for dishwashing.
•Buy a high-efficiency (HE) dish washing machine.
•If you have a new dishwasher, cut back on pre-
rinsing. Newer models clean more thoroughly than
older ones.
•For cold drinks keep a pitcher of water in the
refrigerator instead of running the tap. This way, every
drop goes down you and not the drain.
•Install an “on-demand” tankless water heater under
your kitchen sink so you don't have to let the water run
while it heats up.
For more information call 707-459-4601 or email [email protected]
Sponsored by:
The City of Willits, CA
California Pollution Control Financing Authority
Sustainable Communities Grant
Willits citizens and business interests
Laundry Washing Machine•Run your washing machine only when it’s full.
•Old top-loading washing machines typically use 40
gallons per full load. Purchase a new front-loading,
high-efficiency (HE) machine that uses 15-25 gallons
per full load.
•When doing laundry, match the water level to the
size of the load.
Hot Water Heater•Insulate hot water pipes so you run less water
waiting for it to turn hot.
•Install “on-demand” tankless water heaters in
your kitchen and bathrooms so you don't have to
let the water run while it heats up.
•Locate your hot water heater to minimize the
distance to the kitchen and bathrooms. This will
reduce water waste while waiting for the hot
water to arrive.
Miscellaneous•When cleaning your fishtank, water your houseplants
with the old water, which is rich in nutrients.
•Check for leaky faucets and fix them.
•Install high-efficiency (HE) aerators on all of your
faucets.
•Insulate hot water pipes. This way you run less water
while waiting for it to turn hot.
•Drop your dirty tissue in the trash instead of flushing it
down the toilet.
•When you give your pet fresh water, use the old
water on your trees, shrubs, or houseplants.
•Install auto-flow-starters on all faucets.
•Check your water meter and water bill to track your
water usage from month to month. The more you
know, the easier it is to identify water waste and
opportunities to save water.
•Check your meter leak detector. Turn off all water
fixtures and appliances on your property. If the leak
detector is still spinning then you probably have a leak.
Ask your water purveyor to check your meter and do
a pressure test for leaks.
For more information call 707-459-4601 or email [email protected]
Sponsored by:
The City of Willits, CA
California Pollution Control Financing Authority
Sustainable Communities Grant
Willits citizens and business interests
•Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust
sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the
house, sidewalk, or street.
•Adjust your watering schedule each month to match
seasonal weather conditions and landscape
requirements.
•To reduce water loss due to evaporation from heat
and sun, irrigate in the early morning.
•More plants die from over-watering than from under-
watering. Be sure to water plants no more than
necessary.
•Divide your watering cycle into shorter periods to
reduce runoff and allow for better absorption.
•Only water your lawn when needed. You can tell this
by simply walking across your lawn. If you leave
footprints, it's time to water.
•Install a rain shut-off device on your automatic
sprinklers to eliminate unnecessary watering.
•Use drip irrigation for shrubs and trees to apply water
directly to the roots where it's needed.
•Water your plants deeply but less frequently to create
healthier and stronger landscapes.
•Set a kitchen timer when watering your lawn or
garden with a hose.
•Use a screwdriver as a soil probe to test soil moisture. If
it goes in easily, don't water.
•Use sprinklers that throw big drops of water close to
the ground. Smaller drops of water, high arching spray
and mist often evaporate before they hit the ground.
•Use the sprinkler for larger areas of grass. Water small
patches by hand to avoid waste.
•When watering grass on steep slopes, use a soaker
hose to prevent wasteful runoff.
•Install a legal greywater system, which reuses
wastewater from your clothes washer, shower, bath
and sink to irrigate your plants and trees.
•Remember to check your sprinkler system valves
periodically for leaks and keep the heads in good
shape.
•Buy a rain gauge to track how much rain or irrigation
your yard receives. Reduce watering to no more than
necessary.
•Teach your family how to shut off your automatic
watering systems. Turn sprinklers off if the system is
malfunctioning or when a storm is approaching.
Irrigation Tips 1
Irrigation Tips 2
Irrigation Tips 3
For more information call 707-459-4601 or email [email protected]
Sponsored by:
The City of Willits, CA
California Pollution Control Financing Authority
Sustainable Communities Grant
Willits citizens and business interests
•Landscape with Xeriscape trees, plants and
groundcovers. Xeriscape species have been thriving
for thousands of years without human irrigation. They
can provide seasonal color and survive even the driest
summers with little to no watering.
•Replace the unused, ornamental lawn areas with
Xeriscape plants and mulch. Try sheet-mulching.
•Aerate your lawn. Punch holes in your lawn about six
inches apart so water will reach the roots rather than
run off the surface.
•Avoid planting turf in areas that are hard to water
such as steep inclines and isolated strips along
sidewalks and driveways.
Xeriscape
Grass / Turf / Lawn
More Tips•Plant during the spring or fall when the watering
requirements are lower.
•Use a layer of organic mulch around plants to reduce
evaporation.
•Group plants with the same watering needs together
to get the most out of your watering time. Concentrate
water-thrifty plants in one zone and water-thirsty plants
in another.
•While fertilizers promote plant growth, they also
increase water consumption. Apply the minimum
amount of fertilizer needed.
•Start a compost pile. Using compost when you plant
adds water-holding organic matter to the soil.
•Employ bioswales, raingardens and retention ponds in
your yard to keep rainwater on site, which keeps your
soil moist longer, reduces erosion, eases the strain on
the municipal stormwater drainage systems, and helps
recharge our aquifers.
•Use mulch to protect your top soil and retain moisture
longer.
•Redesign your yard to optimize your new legal
greywater reuse system.
For more information call 707-459-4601 or email [email protected]
Sponsored by:
The City of Willits, CA
California Pollution Control Financing Authority
Sustainable Communities Grant
Willits citizens and business interests
Have a certified greywater installer re-route your
greywater to plants and trees. Greywater is the
wastewater that comes from your shower,
bathtub, bathroom sink and clothes washer. The
State of California and City of Willits allow you to
use greywater to irrigate your fruit trees, nut trees
and food plants as long as certain conditions are
met.
Willits greywater homes
come in all shapes and sizes
Greywater
Rainwater Harvesting•Direct rainwater from downspouts and other runoff
towards mulch basins along the drip lines of plants and
trees.
•Collect rainwater from downspouts in rainbarrels or
larger cisterns, which can be placed above ground or
under your yard, patio, driveway, deck or house.
Pool and Hot Tub•Install covers on your pool and hot tub.
•If you have an automatic refilling device, check for
leaks, especially around your pumps.
•Use a grease pencil to mark the water level of your
pool at the skimmer. Check the mark 24 hours later.
Your pool should lose no more than 1/4 inch each day.
•Make sure your swimming pools, fountains, and ponds
are equipped with recirculating pumps.
•When backwashing your pool, consider reusing that
water on your landscaping.