CONSERVATION CORNER

GET TO KNOW YOUR HOUSEHOLD WATER USE - IT’S EASY & FREE!

by Kathrine Blomquist

Sorry about the “False Fall” start to last month’s article. Little did I know that as I was writing praises about the double-digit weather in September it was going to rise up to 113 again…and again. However, it did not go above 100 yesterday, it’s not even in the 90s today, and rain is predicted this weekend. This should be the official start of fall, à la Valley of the Sun style.

Speaking of rain, I hope you are all set with Rainlog. org. If not, learn more at https://wateruseitwisely. com/blog/help-track-rainfall-with-rainlog-org-andmake-a-difference/.

Recently I spent some time on the City of Mesa’s Know Your H20 Water Calculator. The calculator estimates how much water a household needs and I figure I should walk my talk since I wrote about the calculator in August. It’s a great tool and I encourage you to give it a try (especially if you like pie charts!).

First, I went into My Utility Account Login on the City of Mesa website, mesaaz.gov. (Yes, I had to reset my password on the “My Utility Account Login.” OK, truth be told, I had to look up my User Name as well). Once I was logged into my account, I was able to see my household water use for the past 2+ years by selecting “Usage” on the left. Only water use from the last calendar year is needed for the calculator.

Next, I went to the Know Your H20 Water Calculator. I answered a few questions about my home; is there a pool, landscape type, number of occupants, etc. Then I entered my monthly water usage from last year, remembering that each TGal = 1,000 gallons of water. Instantly, the water calculator figured out my estimated water use based on the answers to the questions and compared it to my household’s actual water usage. The calculator is so cool, it made a colorful pie chart of my total indoor water use. With the information, a bar graph was created with my actual water use, the red line, and compared it with the estimated water use, the blue bars. (See the “Know Your H2O Water Calculator” example below/ to the left/right).

Happy to report that our actual water use was below the estimated water use in 2023. However, who knew taking showers can be the largest water use for a household?

My family members are now all more aware of the time spent in the shower, and we are all striving to shorten the length.

So, this month’s water saving tip is to get to know your household water use. Mesa has a great tool that is easy to use to help you learn how much water you are using. And it’s free! Remember, knowledge is power. It’s easier to start saving water if you know where to begin.

Happy Fall! Fingers crossed typing it this time it’s true.

November 2