As our region’s drought continues, Seattle, Everett and Tacoma residents are being asked to reduce water use by 10 percent. Two weeks ago, the cities asked for residents to be “mindful” of water use. Now they’re asking for voluntary cutbacks. That’s the second stage in the region’s water shortage response plan.
The three cities are working together to manage water supplies for people and fish during the drought and higher-than-normal water use. They are asking customers for their help by voluntarily reducing their water use by 10 percent starting today.
People who want to find out how well the region is meeting the 10 percent goal can visit www.savingwater.org. The three cities plan to publish the first update the week of Aug. 24.
Ways people can reduce their water use:
- Let your lawn go dormant and limit plant watering to twice a week – Doing this at home and at businesses can make a big difference.
- Water plants before 8 a.m. or after 7 p.m. — If you are watering, do it during this timeframe to reduce the impact of evaporation.
- Reduce your showering time at home, work and the gym
- Check for and fix leaks now, including checking your toilets for silent leaks
- Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes
- Find more water saving tips at www.savingwater.org
If conditions worsen, each city will decide if it will move to the “mandatory” phase of water shortage response and require customers to further reduce the amount of water they normally use each day.
