Redwood City Offers Residents 'Top 10 Ways' to Conserve Water

The following was submitted for publication by the City of Redwood City:

With Governor Brown’s recent announcement of a $1 billion drought relief plan, California citizens are more concerned than ever about how they can help to address one of the worst droughts on state record. In response, the City of Redwood City’s Public Works Department has put together a list of the top 10 ways residents can conserve water.

“The wave of increasingly alarming news about the drought can be overwhelming to locals and make them feel a bit powerless,” said City Manager Bob Bell. “The City of Redwood City Public Works Department has put together a series of free workshops and cost-saving programs that are easy to do and can make a significant difference. With the drought in the news more than ever, it’s a good time to remind people about these great programs in place. Now is the time to take action and mitigate this critical issue together.”

10 Easy Ways to Conserve Water at Home or Work

1) Budget your water usage with mywater.redwoodcity.org Create an account and fill out questions such as the number of people living/working in the unit, amount of landscaping, etc. The program will create a water usage budget and offer opportunities to monitor and get alerts about overages.
2) Rebates for Water Efficient PlantsWith the Lawn Be Gone! Program, Redwood City will rebate $1.00 per square foot to replace your lawn with water efficient plants. To be eligible for a rebate, the lawn conversion project must be approved by Redwood City Water before the landscaping occurs. To help with this goal, Redwood City Public Works offers a series of free water conversation landscape courses at http://bawsca.org/classes. Next classes take placeApril 4 and April 11.
3) Free Sprinkle NozzlesRedwood City is partnering with FreeSprinklerNozzles.com to bring you up to 25 free sprinkler heads that can help save water waste and money.
4) WaterWise GardeningA world of garden design and maintenance ideas is just a mouse click away at www.bayareagardening.org, which features garden tours, a plant database, a gardening guide, a watering guide calculator, and more. Also if you would prefer it on a CD call 780-7436 or email conservationfd@redwoodcity.org to request a copy. This website and CD includes helpful tips on efficient seasonal watering schedules.
5) Rain Barrel Rebate The San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program provides rebates for purchasing and installing qualifying rain barrels.
6) Green Gardener ReferralsNot a gardener but need one? Redwood City offers a list of Certified Green Gardenersin the Redwood City area at redwoodcity.org/conservation.
7) High Efficiency Toilet Rebate ProgramDo you have a toilet built prior to 1992 which uses 3.5 gallons or more per flush? Get a rebate of up to $100 per toilet (3 per dwelling unit) when you replace your old water-wasting toilet with a new high-efficiency EPA labeled model.
8) High-Efficiency Clothes Washer Rebate ProgramRedwood City partners with PG&E on a rebate program for customers who purchase qualifying, high-efficiency clothes washing machines. Redwood City’s residential water customers are eligible for a rebate of up to $125 when they purchase and install a new high-efficiency clothes washer.
9) Free SMART HOME Water-Use House CallsMake an appointment with one of Redwood City’s water conservation technicians for a free house call, who can give advice on how and where to conserve water and save money. Call 780-7436 or email conservationfd@redwoodcity.org.
10) Free SMART HOME Water Conservation KitRequest a free do-it-yourself Water Conservation Kit which includes all the tools needed to make your home “water smart.” Call 780-7436 or email conservationfd@redwoodcity.org.

Find out more at www.redwoodcity.org/conservation.

(Image via Shutterstock)