Manchester Water Users Asked to Conserve: Here Are Some Water-Saving Tips

The Manchester Water and Sewer Department is asking customers to use as little water as possible, now that the town’s reservoirs have dropped to 80 percent of capacity.

Rainfall was down 31 percent in June, July and August, said Pat Kearney, administrator for the Manchester Water and Sewer Department, according to a report in the Hartford Courant.

At the bottom of this article, we’ve got water conservation tips from the department’s website.

Manchester’s Water Conservation Announcement

Here’s the announcement about water conservation from the Manchester town government website:

The Town of Manchester Water Department is issuing a water conservation alert to all citizens, businesses, institutions and users of the potable water supply because the levels of the Town’s reservoirs have dropped to 80 percent of capacity. This is due to the lack of precipitation.

Although this past year’s average rain fall is only slightly behind the annual average June, July and August monthly precipitation lags behind.

Hopefully cooler weather, historically lower outdoor water use and normal wet falls will be enough to reverse this trend. Most of the requested conservation measures requested below will be implemented due to time of the year we are in but any effort helps.

This conservation alert requests that all users voluntarily conserve water by taking shorter showers, running dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads, shutting off water while washing hands, shaving and brushing teeth, and minimizing the watering of lawns and gardens.

Further voluntary conservation measures include avoiding the power washing of homes, sidewalks and driveways; reducing the frequency of washing vehicles, and decreasing the refilling of swimming pools.

It is also recommended that any leaky plumbing fixtures be repaired or replaced with low-flow devices.

The Water Department will continue to monitor the level of the reservoirs and will lift the alert once the reservoir capacities return to normal. In the event conditions worsen, the Town may need to implement additional conservation measures in accordance with the Drought Contingency Plan.

This could include mandatory use restrictions in order to ensure an adequate supply of water is available for normal domestic consumption and fire protection.

The Town of Manchester wishes to thank all our water customers for their participation in these voluntary conservation efforts. By being proactive, we hope to avoid any mandatory restrictions of water usage. For further information, please call us at 647-3115 or visit our website at http://www.townofmanchester.org/Water/ and click on the Water Supply Status link.

Water Conservation Tips

From the Manchester Water and Sewer Department website:

Bathrooms:

Never use your toilet as a wastebasket.
Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.
Take short showers instead of tub baths. Turn off the water flow while soaping or washing.
If you must use a tub, close the drain before turning on the water and fill the tub only half full.
Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it - such as watering a plant or garden.

Kitchen and Laundry:

Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
Wash fruit and vegetables in a basin. Use a vegetable brush.
Do not use water to defrost frozen foods, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Use a dishpan for washing and rinsing dishes.
Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher.
Add food wastes to your compost pile instead of using the garbage disposal.
Operate the dishwasher only when completely full.
Use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.

Outside:

As much as 30% of water can be lost to evaporation by watering the lawn during midday, so water early in morning or after the sun goes down.

Don’t water when ground is wet.
Water infrequently but deeply to promote root growth.
Use a soaker hose on gardens and flower beds.
Catch precipitation in a rain barrel and use it to water plants and gardens.
Mulch around trees and shrubs to reduce evaporation.
In-ground sprinklers should be equipped with moisture sensors.
Timers should be used on above-ground sprinklers and soaker hoses.

Sweep driveways, sidewalks and steps rather than hosing off.
Wash the car with water from a bucket, or use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
When using a hose, control the flow with an automatic shut-off nozzle.
Avoid purchasing recreational water toys which require a constant stream of water.
If you have a swimming pool, consider a new water-saving pool filter.
Lower pool water level to reduce the amount of water splashed out.
Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation when pool is not being used.

Equipment:

Repair all leaks. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons per day. To detect leaks in the toilet, add 10 drops of food coloring to the tank water. If the colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking. Also the attached link will assist in demostrating how to perform a dye test. Please contact our Customer Service office at (860) 647-3114 to obtain dye tabs. “How to perform a Dye test”.
Install low-flow aerators and showerheads and consider purchasing a high efficiency washing machine, which can save over 50% in water and energy use.

Additional Information:

EPA’s Water Efficiency in the Home

Leak Detection

Water Conservation