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12800 Ridge Road ∙ Sutter Creek, CA 95685 ∙ (209) 223-3018 ~ FAX (209) 257-5281

Engineering Department ~ (209) 257-5222

Notice of Planned

Water Service Interruption

Click here to find out who is affected

Text Box:

Water Conservation

Water is one of the most vital resources we have in Amador County. The Agency’s policies and practices are designed to promote wise and efficient use of our limited water supply and recognize that water conservation is a key component to the reliability of our water supply.

AWA’s water conservation programs are currently designed for voluntary customer participation, demonstrating that wise water use can be achieved without compromising service or lifestyle.

Conservation Links

www.wateruseitwisely.com

www.h2ouse.org

www.fypower.org

Environmental
Protection
Agency

epa.gov/watersense

DWR-Office of Water Use Efficiency

$Text Box: Did You Know That: California experienced six droughts of three years or more during the 20th century. 1977 was the driest year of the state’s measured hydrologic record, when statewide runoff was only 20% of average. In 2002, many Southern California communities experienced their driest rainfall year of the measured record. California has only about 100 years of measured hydrologic record. Paleoclimate information (such as that provided from tree-ring studies) indicates that California has experienced droughts more severe than those in the historic record during climatologically recent time. During the last major statewide drought, 1987-92, drought, most large urban areas coped with water shortage impacts through voluntary conservation and mandatory rationing at 20% to 30% levels. Reductions in residential outdoor water use contributed much of the savings. California’s landscaping and nursery industries were estimated to have lost $460 million in gross revenues in 1991, the driest year of the six-year drought. Past droughts have shown that actual health and safety impacts – lack of water for human consumption, sanitation, and fire protection – have occurred in small water systems in rural areas. Systems most at risk are those that depend on groundwater from unreliable fractured rock sources or from small coastal terrace groundwater basins. The at-risk geographic areas are the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range and the North and Central Coast regions. Drought’s largest economic impacts include those associated with wildfires and damage to timber resources.$

Conservation Tips

Outside your House

Water your lawn early in the morning or at night to avoid excess evaporation.
Do not over-water your lawn.
Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. Longer grass shades root systems and holds soil moisture.
Aerate your lawn: Punch holes in your lawn about six inches apart so water will reach the roots rather than run off the surface.
Check outdoor faucets and hoses for leaks.
Check automatic sprinklers for leaks, and make sure they are not running when it is raining.
Use lawn chemicals only when necessary
Use a broom, rather than a hose to clean sidewalks or driveways
If you have a swimming pool, use a cover. By so doing, you can cut the loss of water by evaporation by 90 percent.
Do not pour toxic chemicals (such as cleaning products, motor oil, weed killers, or paints) down the drain. Dispose of them properly. Proper disposal is key to water conservation because water is easily contaminated. One gallon of improperly disposed motor oil can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water.
Try Container gardening using drip irrigation.
Plant low water-use plants.
Check and maintain your evaporative cooler so it runs efficiently and leak-free.
Use a layer of organic mulch around plants to reduce evaporation.
Use a hose nozzle to turn off the water while you wash your car. Return

Inside Your House

Fully load the dishwasher and clothes washer before running.
When washing dishes by hand, or when brushing your teeth, do not leave the water running.
Repair dripping faucets and leaky toilets. Dripping faucets can waste up to 2,000 gallons of water each year in the average home. Leaky toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons per day.
Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator or in a microwave instead of running hot water over the food.
Use water-efficient showerheads
Collect the water you use for rinsing produce and reuse it to water houseplants.
Insulate hot water pipes so you don’t have to run as much water to get hot water to the faucet. You can save this running water too for watering your indoor plants).
Choose water-saving appliances, like washing machines that save up to 20 gallons per load.
Turn off the water while you shampoo and condition your hair and you can save more than to gallons a week.
If your toilet was installed prior to 1980, place a toilet dam or bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to cut down on the amount of water used for each flush. Be sure these decies do not interfere with operating parts. Return

In Your Community

Report significant water losses from broken pipes, open fire hydrants and errant sprinklers to the property owner or to the Water Agency.
Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
Encourage schools to develop and promote water conservation.
Support projects that use reclaimed wastewater for irrigation and other uses. Return

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The Amador Water Agency
12800 Ridge Road
Sutter Creek, CA 95685
(209) 223-3018 ~ FAX (209) 257-5281