7 On Your Side: Helpful tips, free water saving gadgets
BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- Most water districts in the Bay Area are asking their customers to cut their water usage up to 30 percent. 7 On Your Side took a look at a way you may be able to do that and save money too.
Bay Area water districts offer all kinds of advice on saving water, but did you know they're also giving away free gadgets to help you conserve?
There are a lot of ways to reduce your water usage indoors.
East Bay Municipal Utility District spokesperson Abby Figueroa said you can "cut down your shower, make sure you're really conscious of using your kitchen or your bathroom faucet, your washing machine, make sure those have full loads."
She added, "We can give you a free showerhead, these actually are more efficient than the ones you see out in homes right now."
The showerhead they give out flows at two gallons per minute. They are also giving out free faucet aerators. The bathroom faucet aerator can reduce the flow to a gallon per minute and the kitchen one can slow down the flow to a gallon and a half per minute.
Most water districts also give out die tabs to test your toilet for leaks.
"You just pop them into the toilet tank and if the water turns blue in your toilet bowl 15 minutes later, it indicates you have a leak," Figueroa said.
Cutting down your watering outside is also essential.
"Outside, if you have say 20 sprinklers, that's the equivalent of 20 shower heads," Figueroa explained.
Ben Graber lives in Berkeley and tries to save water when he can. He told 7 On Your Side, "We water a lot less than we used to in the yard and as you can see the grass is pretty brown because of it."
And, although Graber isn't using sprinklers, he should be using a spray nozzle when he waters.
"There's a restriction right now that you cannot use your garden hose without one of these nozzles," Figueroa said.
EBMUD gives out the garden hose nozzle free to their customers too.
Free water saving devices from:
