Looking for ways to save watering during the Winter?  

Look at the progression of California's drought since 2011 (Data from The U.S. Drought Monitor):

 2014 Drought Progression Video  

In 2013, Portola Valley residential water consumption was 305 gallons/person/day, up from 283 in 2012. By way of comparison, the Bay Area average per capita was 79. Since 70% of Portola Valley residential water usage is outdoors there are many opportunities to cut consumption by 25% as mandated by Governor Jerry Brown. (In Portola Valley, we expect to actually need to cut consumption by 35% since we are in the heaviest consumption tier: more than 165 gallons/person/day.) Click here to learn how you can calculate your household's water consumption. Click here to see a chart showing the distribution of water consumption across Portola Valley residents.

Speaking broadly, there are 4 main ways to conserve water:

1. Behavior Change

• be aware of the value of water
  
• be more careful and conscientious in our water use
• utilize Water Saving Tips

2. Landscape with plants appropriate to our semi-arid climate

• reduce or eliminate lawns
• follow recommendations in Water Efficient Landscaping
  

3. Install water saving technologies

• install low-flow toilets (generally already done unless your house is relatively old)
• upgrade to a water-efficient washing machine
• install a Smart Irrigation Controller and Efficient Spray Heads

4. Expand the supply of water with approaches such as Rainwater Catchment and Graywater Reuse