Oct. 21, 2015 – SPU Water Supply Update

After moving to the Voluntary Stage of their water shortage response plans on August 11, Seattle Public Utilities (Northshore’s water supplier), along with the cities of Everett and Tacoma, asked customers to reduce their water use by 10 percent to stretch water supplies, for people and fish, to the rainy season.

Results:  water reduction goal met!  In the last 10 weeks, customers in the region have reduced their water use by 12 percent.  In fact, our water use is well below previous years’ (see chart).  We thank everyone for their efforts to use water carefully.

Ongoing need to fill low reservoirs.  Despite the recent rains, reservoir levels continue to operate below normal for this time of year (see chart). 

Because of this, and the critical water needs for our region’s salmon population, SPU maintains water use reductions are still needed until fall rains fully return and raise our reservoirs to normal levels.

With irrigation season over, more ways needed to reduce use.  Typically, reducing lawn watering is the most effective way to cut back on water.  But as the weather cools, customers should think about other ways to save water inside their homes.  Here are a few below.

Top indoor water-saving tips for homes:

• Check for and fix leaks – please check toilets at least once per year!
• Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes
• Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or shaving
• Reduce showering time
• Don’t pre-rinse dishes
• If purchasing fixtures or equipment, choose water-efficient models

Unless conditions change significantly, we will update you on the next round of regional water-use reduction results in mid-November.

Find more water-saving tips at www.savingwater.org.