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Spotlight
Every Drop Count$—How to Lower Your Water Bill
Conserving water is great for the environment and it’s also good for your finances. Finding ways to use less water can help you lower your bill each month.
Fort Worth Water bills you in tiers, or levels, based on the amount of water you use. As you use more water, additional water is billed at increasingly higher costs.
New meters are being installed across the city that will allow you to see your usage on an hourly basis. Once complete, you will be able to evaluate your daily usage patterns and find ways to manage those tiers more effectively.
Every gallon saved adds up—to help you manage your tier charges and reduce your water bill this month and in the future—and keep clean, safe water affordable for you, your neighbors and future generations.
Inside Tips
- Complete a Water Footprint Calculator to figure out how much water you use and where you can save.
- Install WaterSense-labeled products when replacing appliances and fixtures.
- Run a full dishwasher load instead of hand washing dishes. Newer Energy Star models use 1/6 the water needed to hand wash, saving thousands of gallons over its lifetime.
- Wipe off excess food into the trash first and then fill some water in the sink to rinse off dishes if needed. Don’t keep the water running.
- Showering uses about 20% of the average family’s daily water use. Retrofit your shower with a water-saving showerhead to reduce that use by about 20%. Save more by limiting your shower to 5 minutes or less.
- Baths use nearly twice as much water as showers.
- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
- Fill the sink with a bit of water to clean your razor while shaving.
- Replace your faucet aerators. They reduce the gallons per minute coming out of the faucet by 25% or more.
- Keep a pitcher of cold water to drink in the refrigerator if you don’t have a water-in-the-door feature. It wastes a lot of gallons of water to get cold water out of a faucet, especially in the summer.
- Toilets are the biggest water waster in your home. Check your toilet for silent leaks by using a food coloring test.
- If your home was built before 1994, you may be eligible to get up to two free water-efficient toilet replacements. Check out the SmartFlush program.
- Use the right water level when washing clothes. Energy Star certified clothes washers use about 25% less energy and 33% less water than regular washers. You’ll reduce your energy and water bill!
Outside Tips
- The first step to saving water outdoors is to only water when it’s needed. Sign up for the Weekly Watering Advice. You will get an email or text that lets you know how much water your yard needs each week. It’s based on weather service date for your zip code.
- Make sure your irrigation system is working properly. Sign up for a free irrigation system evaluation to get a written assessment of your system.
- Get the help of an irrigation professional to learn how to use your irrigation system. Smart irrigation controllers may not be so smart if not programmed to meet the needs of your system and lawn.
- Follow the City of Fort Worth year-round watering requirements. Watering twice a week is the MAXIMUM irrigation use allowed. Most of the year, you will probably need to water less frequently.
- Don’t water by irrigation or sprinklers between the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is a violation of the city watering requirements and you’ll lose up to 50% of that water you are paying for to evaporation.
- Consider using native and adapted plants in your landscape. They use less water and can still thrive during periods of drought.
- Replace your irrigation system with drip irrigation in your flower and garden beds. Drip irrigation can use up to 50% less water because it’s more efficient.
- Use the "catch can test" to find out if you are watering too long. If you want to water ½”, time how long it takes for the can to fill to that level, and adjust your watering time. Watering too much results in runoff, wasting water.
- Use a "cycle and soak" process. Cycle and soak reduces runoff and increases soil absorption of the water, getting to the roots of the plants. You’ll waste less water and water more deeply so you can water less frequently.
- Remember, when you irrigate you are using treated drinking water that you are paying for. Set up a rainwater harvesting system to collect free, untreated water for plants.
- Don’t hose down the driveway and sidewalks after you mow. Sweep the clippings back on to the lawn instead.
- If you are constantly having to fill your pool, run a bucket leak test to see if you might have a leak.
- Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation of the water. You’ll have to top it off less frequently.
Next seminars:
More Information coming soonNews to Know
- Learning About Water at Home
- Classes & Events
- Twice-per-week Watering
- Irrigation Schedule Variance Form
Smart Programs
- SmartFlush (Toilets)
- Smart Irrigation Evaluation
- SmartWater Assessment (Commercial)
- Business Smart (Commercial)
Plans & Ordinances
Tips
Report Water Waste
Fort Worth has year-round watering restrictions which include a no more than twice a week irrigation schedule. Please report water waste online or use the MyFtWorth app for smartphones.
