Water Saving Tips

The City works cooperatively with our water wholesalers to provide residents with advice, assistance, and access to programs. The following information is provided jointly by the City of Sunnvyale and Santa Clara Valley Water District.

• Turn off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth
• Take shorter showers. You will save 2.5 gallons of water each minute.
• Check toilets and faucets for leaks. Running toilets can waste 2 gallons a minute while leaky faucets can waste thousands of gallons.
• Do not use the toilet as a wastebasket. Only toilet paper goes in the toilet.
• Only wash full loads of laundry and dishes.
• Install water-efficient faucet aerators and showerheads in your kitchen and bathrooms.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables in a pan instead of using running water.
• Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running tap water to cool it off for drinking is wasteful.
• Replace your old front-loading clothes washer with a high-efficiency model. For a REBATE call the Santa Clara Valley Water District's water conservation hotline at (408)-265-2607 extension 2554.
• If your toilet uses over 3.5 gallons/flush replace it with a high-efficiency toilet (HET). New models use 70% less water. For HET REBATES call the Santa Clara Valley Water District's water conservation hotline at (408)-265-2607 extension 2554.

Simple Steps To Save Water Outdoors

• Plant native or drought-tolerant plants that require less watering. Native plants promote healthier local ecosystems.
• Check for leaks in pipes, sprinkler heads, and valves.
• Use a broom to sweep off pavement. Using a hose to wash sidewalks, driveways and patios wastes money and water.
• Apply organic mulch around plants to reduce moisture loss and keep weed-growth down and promote a healthier soil environment.
• Water during cool parts of the day. Early morning is the best time since it helps prevent growth of fungus.
• Avoid watering on windy days.
• Deep soak your lawn to ensure moisture reaches the roots. Light sprinkle watering evaporates quickly and encourages shallow root systems that need more frequent watering.
• Water your lawn only when it needs it. You can test it by stepping on it and see if it springs back up. If it does, it does not need watering.
• Use drip irrigation in larger gardens with weather based irrigation control (WBIC). For a REBATE call Santa Clara Valley Water District's water conservation hotline at (408)-265-2607 extension 2554.

For more information, please visit http://www.valleywater.org/.