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Want to Reduce Your Household Water Bills?

Many Central California residents have metered water use, which means that they pay for every gallon of water that flows through their taps, shower heads, toilets, and garden hoses.

Do you know how much you pay for your water?

Below, you can see how much homeowners in a few Central California cities pay per CCF of water* (1 CCF = 100 cubic feet = 748 gallons):

  • Auburn & Rocklin: $1.44/CCF for the first 4, $1.55/CCF for the next 6, $1.65/CCF for the next 10,
  • Citrus Heights: $0.98/CCF
  • El Dorado Hills: $1.454/CCF for the first 18, $1.755/CCF for the next 27, $2.059/CCF thereafter
  • Elk Grove: $1.52/CCF for the first 30, $3.02/CCF thereafter
  • Folsom: $1.08/CCF for the first 20, $1.30/CCF for the next 20, and $1.60/CCF thereafter
  • Placerville: $2.94/CCF for the first 10, $3.52/CCF for the next 15, $3.81/CCF thereafter
  • Roseville: $1.17/CCF
  • Sacramento: $1.0959/CCF
  • South Lake Tahoe: $1.04/CCF for the first 45, $1.56/CCF thereafter

*Please note that the rates above are accurate as of September 2017.

While even a single CCF of water may seem like a lot, daily water usage adds up fast.

The Sacramento County Water Agency reported that in July 2017, the average household used 192.69 gallons per day, or 0.26 CCF. While this would result in a monthly water bill of only $8.47 in Sacramento, if a household in Placerville used that much water every day, their monthly water bill would be $22.72, on top of flat fees charged for water service.

This may still not seem like much, but this is average water usage. 50% of households in Sacramento used more water than that.

If you:

  • Have a large household,
  • Have family members who enjoy taking 45 minute showers,
  • Have a swimming pool,
  • Water your lawn frequently…

Then your water consumption is likely much higher than average, and your water bills are too. Would you like to do something about those pesky bills?

Here are a few easy to install fixtures that can cut your water costs.

Low-flow sink faucets and aerators: Many retailers sell bathroom and kitchen sink faucets that save water, while still maintaining a pleasing water flow. If you would like to keep your existing water faucets, you can purchase an aerator for a few dollars and screw it onto your faucet head. Aerators reduce water flow, but mix air into the water stream, making it feel as if the water volume is the same.

Reduced flow shower heads and flow restrictors: There are innumerable shower heads available that reduce water flow while offering many spray options. These shower heads are usually quite inexpensive, and are a great choice, as they are designed to use less water while delivering a satisfying experience. But if you would like to keep your shower head, simply purchase a shower flow restrictor, which are small devices that are installed in the shower head and reduce flow, similar to an aerator.

Water saving toilets: If you’re really feeling dedicated, you can consider purchasing a new, water-efficient toilet. Older toilets use as much as 6 gallons of water per flush. New toilets bearing the EPA’s WaterSense label use no more than 1.28 gallons per flush (20% less than the current federal standard for new toilets). You can also consider buying a dual-flush toilet, which has a low-flow button for liquid waste and a higher-volume flush button for solid waste. If you would like to reduce the water usage of your old pre-‘90s toilet, take a slender half-gallon juice or milk container, fill it with water and rocks, and submerge it in the tank. This will reduce the amount of water it takes to fill the tank.

High efficiency clothes washers: New high efficiency clothes washers are designed to use less water while still delivering the same washing performance as a typical clothes washer. These washers use about 35 to 50% less water than a typical washer. If you wash a lot of clothes with hot water, this is a great way to cut your water and energy costs.

Also work to eliminate wasteful water habits, and get your leaky faucets and toilets repaired.

You can also look for other ways to reduce your water usage. Maybe you don’t need to water your lawn so often, or you can encourage your family members to take shorter showers. Think about your behaviors and how they impact your water usage, and then look for opportunities to change your habits.

Perhaps most importantly, are your faucets or toilets leaking? If you’ve been hearing the steady drip-drip of a water leak, you need to realize that you’re also hearing your savings drip-drip-dripping away.

Leaks don’t just waste water. They can also eventually cause serious and expensive damage to your home. If you’ve been letting a pesky leak slowly worsen, now is the time to deal with it. Gilmore’s plumbing professionals can help! For more information, give us a call at or send us a message using our convenient contact form.

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