Water is a precious commodity here in the Truckee Meadows so Channel 2 News looked into ways on how you can better conserve at home.
Since we didn't get a whole lot of rain or snows this year, experts say it's a good idea to start conserving the water we already have. "The situation now is not good. The snow pack is way behind the curve. The Lake Tahoe basin is about 19% of average. Reservoir storage upstream is bleak to say the least,” senior hydrologist Bill Hauck.
It's no secret we're in our 4th year of drought, and because of that many people have been asking us on Facebook what things they can do to conserve water in their homes to help mitigate the drought.
One example is drippy faucets. If you have an upgraded kitchen you're probably in the clear because there's a cartridge inside the faucet blocks water from flowing unintentionally. But, if you have an older one, you may need a Drip Stop which replaces an old fashioned compression washer with rubber inside, which keeps the water from dripping.
Every day you typically use a shower to keep yourself clean, a sink to brush your teeth and kitchen faucet to get a drink of water. Without realizing it you could be using lots of water.
We found out ways to help you cut back on water use without having to change your routine. Tony Termini of ConservCo, a local company that specializes in conserving water says after the drippy faucets, the next place you could cut back on water is changing a shower head that flows at 2.5 gallons a minute to a lower flow shower head at 2 gallon a minute. "You'll save not only thousands of gallons of water every single year, but because you're using less water you're using less energy to heat that,” said Termini.
Tony also specializes in helping hotels around the world, including right here in the Biggest Little City. “We'll take a team and audit a hotel's environment from their guest rooms to their kitchens to their golf courses. We know that we've saved them thousands and thousands of dollars over time,” said Termini.
Another thing you may need to know is during a drought year, water theft always go up. "In times of drought, not only do neighbors steal water from one another but construction companies that have 50,000 gallon water tanks,” said Termini. And because of that - the Hose Bibb Lock is the #1 selling tool he has to secure water on your property. "We make a product that's designed to lock up that outdoor spicket so that your neighbor can't steal water from you,” said Termini. “It's a $20 investment; it could save thousands and thousands of dollars.” Most of these water conservation tools can be found at Amazon.com, Walmart, Home Depot and your local Ace Hardware store. Other ways to conserve water are wash your vehicle less often, and if you do -- use a car wash instead of your driveway.
Since this is another drought year, water restrictions similar to last summer may be put in place. "TMWA always encourages responsible water use. But once again, this year we will be asking our customers to do their part and cut back their outdoor water use by 10%,” said Hauck. The Truckee Meadows Water Authority will be meeting with its board of directors or March 18th asking for approval for additional water conservation measures for summer.
