Water conservation

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

Water is a precious resource

Save Water - Faucet Dripping Fresh water supplies are often limited – whether by water rights, stream flows or a system’s capacity to supply and treat water. In the Pacific Northwest, many water utilities typically face challenges in meeting the summer demand, especially in times of drought. As the population continues to grow, demand for water stresses the already limited water supplies. It is in the best interest of water utilities and its customers to engage in and promote water conservation.

Water conservation ensures that the resources continue to be available for future generations of Tumwater residents and businesses, as well as guaranteeing that there is enough water available for wildlife and the habitats that support them.

Learn more about the city's water conservation efforts and how we are reaching our goals below.

Water customers

From indoor to outdoor water use, conservation starts with you. Did you know a simple drip of one drop per minute can add up to over 100 gallons of water wasted a year? Not only is this a loss of our precious resource but also money from your wallet.

Request your incentives online.

Free Irrigation Audits for Businesses

WaterSmart Business Rebates

Indoor Water Savings & Fix Your Leaks

The average Tumwater household uses approximately 185 gallons per day. However, our goal is to reach 147 gallons per day. There are many ways that we can accomplish this. One of the most important is to find and fix leaks inside and outside. Water leaks is one of our biggest water wasters!

Common sources of household leaks:

Toilets are a leading source of indoor leaks, and often the leaking is silent which makes them harder to detect. Try putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank, and leave it to sit for about a half an hour. If you come back to find some of the food coloring has made its way into the bowl of the toilet, you have a leak.
Worn out washers can cause faucets and showerheads to become leaky. These small drips can add up to 170 gallons of water each day!
Check for moist spots around indoor and outdoor plumbing, and – if possible – underneath your house.

Additional indoor water saving tips:

Replace older toilets with ultra-low flush or high-efficiency models.
Install low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads.
Take shorter showers. Shorter showers mean less water used and lower utility bills.
Turn off water while shaving and/or brushing your teeth.
Only wash full loads of clothes and dishes.
Learn how to use your water meter to check for leaks in and around your home.
How to fix a leak.
Pick up a free indoor water saving kit from your Tumwater Water Utility.

Outdoor Watering & Landscape

Water consumption almost triples in the summer due to outdoor water use. Unfortunately, this also occurs when the least amount of water is being contributed by mother nature through precipitation. More water must be pumped to meet the demand. Therefore, conserving water during these times is crucial to ensure there is enough water to go around.

Quick tips to conserve water outdoors

Water early in the morning or early evening to reduce evaporation.
Set lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer grass means deeper roots, less evaporation and the need to use less water.
Reduce watering on cool and overcast days and never water in the rain. If you have an automated irrigation system, install a rain sensor.
If you have an automated irrigation system, install a rain sensor.
Always make sure irrigation systems are properly maintained and shut off at the end of the irrigation season.
Replace irrigated grass with native and drought-tolerant plants, which use considerably less water.
Pick up a free outdoor water saving kit from your Tumwater Water Utility. Request your FREE incentives online!
Learn more about Smart Watering from the Saving Water Partnership of Seattle and participating local water utilities.

Take Advantage of Free Water Saving Devices & Rebates

The City of Tumwater, in collaboration with the LOTT Clean Water Alliance, offers many rebates and free water-saving devices to help conserve water for City of Tumwater water and sewer customers.

Not a LOTT-served customer? No problem. The City offers many of the same rebates and free water savings devices to customers of our water service that are not served by the LOTT.

Request your FREE water-saving devices online.

$50 Washing Machine Rebate Application for LOTT Sewer Customers PDF file

$100 HE Toilet Rebate Application for LOTT Sewer Customers PDF file

$100 HE Toilet Rebate Application for Private Septic Customers PDF file

$200 Weather-Based Irrigation System Rebate Application PDF file

$50 Rain Barrel Rebate Application PDF file

Your Guide to Saving Water & Money

City efforts

Every ten years, the city updates its Water System Plan, which includes the Water Conservation Plan, Water Shortage Response Plan and Operations and Maintenance Plan. Each of these plans guide city conservation efforts with goals, responses, and evaluations.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) requires that all municipal water suppliers set water use efficiency goals through a public process and re-evaluates those goals every six years. The city reports annually on how it's reaching those goals to the DOH through the Tumwater Water Use Efficiency Report and the Lakeland Manor Water Use Efficiency Report.

2018-2028 Conservation Goals

Maintain a 3% annual reduction in the single family ERU

The city’s goal is to maintain this annual reduction over the next ten years, which will reduce the city’s ERU value to 147 gpd by 2028. The city will achieve this reduction by incentivizing both indoor and outdoor conservation.

Maintain a peaking factor of 2

Peaking factor is the ratio of the maximum daily demand to the average daily demand in a water system. Climate change is expected to result in warmer, wetter winters; hotter, dryer summers; and an extended growing season. An increase in summer water use means an increase in overall average day demand. Higher temperatures during the hottest part of summer would probably lead to the maximum day demand increasing as well.

Reduce 3-year average distribution system leakage (DSL) to 5%

Every year as part of the Water Use Efficiency Rule the City reports DSL to the DOH. DSL is defined as the water lost from the distribution system and includes both apparent losses and real losses. Apparent losses include water lost due to theft, meter inaccuracies, and data collection errors. Real losses are the physical losses from the distribution system and include reservoir overflows, leaky valves, and water main breaks. Neither apparent nor real losses are authorized uses of water, therefore they are considered leakage even if they are not actual “leaks.”

Decrease commercial water use through participation in WaterSmart program

The WaterSmart program sponsored by LOTT has been used to finance major water efficiency projects in the cities of Lacey, Olympia, and Tumwater. Through this program several schools within these cities have undergone major plumbing upgrades that have yielded significant water conservation benefits. Since 2011 this program has helped finance 40 different projects with an average rebate amount of approximately $9,639 to achieve an average flow reduction of 1,211 gpd per project.

Tumwater’s goal for the next ten years is to increase participation in WaterSmart, and ideally fully utilize its share of the funding for this program. Based on the annual WaterSmart budget from previous years and the average amount of flow reduction achieved per dollar, the city could potentially reduce water consumption by as much as 6,700 gpd annually over the next ten year planning period.

2019 Water Conservation Plan

The City of Tumwater’s water conservation program consists of independent and regional efforts. Tumwater partners with the LOTT Clean Water Alliance (LOTT), the regional wastewater treatment provider, on some of the conservation measures included in the program. The remainder of the measures are developed and implemented by the city.

Tumwater funds the local portion of the conservation program through water utility rates. The regional conservation efforts, of which Tumwater is an active participant, are funded by LOTT rates.

Read the 2019 Water Conservation Plan.

Annual Water Shortage Evaluation & Drought Assessment

Each year, the City of Tumwater evaluates current and forecasted drought conditions, and the effect that any potential drought may have on the utility’s ability to provide water service. Factors and resources such as snowpack levels, in stream flows, groundwater levels and precipitation data, as well as the NOAA Climate Center and USDA Drought Monitor are all evaluated in providing an annual drought assessment.

If drought conditions occur, the City’s Water Shortage Response Plan PDF file will be triggered, resulting in notification to our customers regarding steps that should be taken to conserve our water resources.

Learn more...

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center – Regional Climate Centers Listing

The National Drought Mitigation Center – U.S. Drought Monitor

NOAA National Weather Service

Tracking Unmetered Water Use & Theft Deterrence

Unmetered Water Use

Staff estimate the volume of water loss and categorize each event by loss type such as break, leak, emergency use, flushing, or maintenance. Understanding the sources of unmetered water use helps us understand how to better control and reduce this type of water loss.

Theft Deterrence

Theft of water service is the unauthorized use of water. It usually occurs when an individual tampers with a fire hydrant, water meter or water service line to obtain water without paying for it. Theft of water is illegal, and those found guilty will be subject to civil and criminal penalties, which may include substantial fines and/or time in prison.

In addition to being illegal, many methods used to steal water compromise the integrity of the water system, and can lead to serious water quality issues – potentially harming you or damaging your home.

Theft of service comes in many forms

Following are examples of theft of service. If you are aware of any of these activities, please give us a call. If any of these situations were pre-existing at your property, and you were unaware that it was considered theft of service, contact us so we can help you fix the issue.

Unmetered service or bypass using water

This is when a customer receives water service that is not being metered, and/or is not being billed for that service.

Unauthorized use for construction

From time to time, we find contractors using water service that is unmetered during construction projects. If you work in construction and need to use water on a job, give us a call. We can arrange to install a temporary meter and any necessary backflow prevention devices so that you can obtain water for your needs.

Irrigation connection before the meter

When an irrigation or sprinkler system is connected to a water service line before the water meter, this is considered an illegal connection. Contact us for guidance on proper installation.

Unauthorized fire hydrant use

The only individuals who are authorized to use fire hydrants are Tumwater Water Utility employees and fire department personnel for fire emergencies. Authorization for other purposes must be pre-approved. This is important to our communities, because in addition to being illegal, unauthorized use can damage a fire hydrant and render it inoperative when needed for a fire.

The city occasionally sees evidence of water theft at fire hydrants in remote locations. The city has installed locking hydrants to deter unauthorized use where water theft is a recurring problem.

Water Shortage Response Plan

An integral part of the comprehensive Water Shortage Response Plan is the City’s course of action in the event of possible water shortages.

A water shortage can be described as any situation in which the water supply is insufficient to meet the demand. A shortage may occur for a number of reasons, but it is most commonly a result of drought conditions. Other factors that can cause a water shortage include contamination, inadequate planning, shallow wells, inadequate pumping, water waste and losses due to emergency conditions such as an earthquake.

The Plan discusses shortages associated primarily with drought conditions, and how to effectively maintain the water supply so that the basic needs of the residents of Tumwater are met in the event of a water shortage.

Tumwater's Water Shortage Response Plan - 2019 Update

Water Use Efficiency & Leak Detection Program

Conserving water not only keeps the cost of water low for our customers, but also insures water for a growing population while protecting adequate water supplies for agriculture, industry, recreation and fish.

The Water Use Efficiency (WUE) program seeks to reduce the amount of leakage within the water distribution system and the tracking on unmetered and unauthorized water use. The city routinely checks the water system for leaks, and makes repairs as necessary. Through this proactive approach, the city is able to maintain a leakage standard that is below the Washington State mandated level of 10%.

AWWA water audit

Completing an annual audit is considered the best management practice for controlling water losses. The AWWA free water audit software is a tool designed to help quantify and track water losses associated with water distribution systems and identify areas for improved efficiency and cost recovery.

Meter calibration

To ensure the accuracy of this critical data, source meters are calibrated bi-annually and service meters are calibrated as needed. The City resolves these leaks as soon as possible once they are identified.

Sonic leak detection

We listen for leaks. They make a certain sound that a trained person with specialized equipment can detect down to the tiniest hole. It’s these tiny leaks that can add up to a large amount of water loss over time. Once a leak is found, computer-based sound correlation can pinpoint the location of the leak, usually within feet, and can estimate the volume of the leak.

AMR/AMI-Based leak detection

The City has all service meters on Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) technology. In 2023, meters started being upgraded to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). AMI will improve the utility’s ability to collect frequent and accurate water usage data to improve billing, leak detection, and water resource management. Fifty percent of the city’s meters have been converted to AMI technology as of July 2024.

These meters help identify leaks by flagging accounts that show continuous flow for an extended period. When an account is flagged the city will contact the owner, alert them to the potential problem, and assist them in troubleshooting.

Contact us

Please contact Water Resources & Sustainability at 360-754-4140 or by email for questions about water conservation or incentive programs.

City of Tumwater, WA