Water Conservation and Water Saving Tips
Water resources are vital for the functioning of our homes, our businesses, and our community. It is to your benefit as a homeowner, as a business person, or as a community resident to use water wisely. If you save water, you save money and energy. In turn, you help save the environment. In 2018, the Estero Municipal Improvement District (EMID) adopted permanent water use restrictions designed to preserve water as an essential resource in keeping with the Governor of California’s Executive Order B-40-17, which directed that water conservation become a “California Way of Life". Additional information can be found here.
The Water Maintenance Division has several helpful water conservation and water saving tips that will assist you in conserving the water in your home, in your business, and/or in your community.
- Most of the water used in your home is used in the bathroom. A toilet uses five (5) to seven (7) gallons for each flush, and a shower uses five (5) to ten (10) gallons per minute. Do not use the toilet for a trash can, and flush only when necessary. Check for leaks in the toilet tank or bowl that can waste thousands of gallons of water a day. Shorten your showers. Turn off the water while soaping or shampooing, and investigate flow restrictors and water-saving showerheads. Turn off the sink faucet while shaving, washing, or brushing your teeth.
- Water can also be saved in the kitchen. When cooking most foods, use less water and put a lid on the pot. Plug the drain or use a pan of water when washing vegetables. The water can later be poured onto houseplants. Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Load the dishwasher to capacity. A partially-filled washer wastes water and energy.
- Water can also be saved outdoors. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks and driveways. Water your lawn slowly and thoroughly during cool morning or evening hours when there is little wind. Do not waste water by letting it run on sidewalks, the driveway, and into the street.
The Foster City Estero Municipal Improvement District (EMID) can help you save more money! If you are an EMID water customer, there are additional rebates available to help you reduce your water use. For more information please visit our Water Conservation Rebate Program page.
The Estero Municipal Improvement District (EMID) implemented a conservation-based water rate model that significantly changed the way that the District calculates customers' cost for water usage. With the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) as its sole source of water, EMID must manage its water consumption based upon a water supply assurance agreement with the SFPUC to provide up to 5.9 million gallons of water per day on average in a given year.
The Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) offers free landscape education classes in the spring and fall of each year. Aside from BAWSCA, there are also many other educational water resources available to the public.
Are you looking to save water and save money? The Foster City Estero Municipal Improvement District (EMID) can help! If you are an EMID water customer, there are rebates, information, and education available to help you reduce your water use. Rebates are granted in order of the date of the Notice to Proceed and funding is limited. Please check with the city on availability of the program.
