Water Authority Launches Water Calculator for Homeowners
April 16, 2013
The San Diego County Water Authority on Wednesday released a new online tool that helps residents estimate how much water…
The San Diego County Water Authority on Wednesday released a new online tool that helps residents estimate how much water they use in their homes and provides practical tips for conserving the region’s most precious natural resource.
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Water Calculator To try the Water Authority’s new online residential Water Calculator, go to www. sdcwa.org/water-calculator or click on the image below.
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The Water Calculator guides users through a series of questions about their homes and water use indoors and outdoors. Based on house-specific data, the calculator quickly estimates how much water is used by major appliances or fixtures, and it identifies specific areas for improving overall household water-use efficiency. Then, the calculator compares individualized results with average and highly efficient homes in the same zip code, showing how much water could be conserved if homeowners make specific changes or upgrades. The process takes about 10 minutes.
“Our polling indicates that the vast majority of San Diego County residents think using water efficiently is the right thing to do, but many people can use a little help identifying where they should start,” said Thomas V. Wornham, Chair of the Water Authority’s Board of Directors. “This handy calculator highlights ways homeowners can take the next step.”
The Water Calculator is a collaborative project of the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to water-use sustainability, and The Field Museum, a scientific powerhouse in Chicago. The Water Authority provided data about water requirements for plants in San Diego County to customize outdoor water-use estimates for this region. The project was made possible by a grant from the Hans and Margaret Doe Charitable Trust.
To celebrate the water-saving tool, the Water Authority is giving away shower timers and pairs of tickets to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park to the first 50 people who use it to analyze their home’s water demand. To be eligible, participants must complete the online calculations, identify their household’s total annual water use in gallons and email that figure to sdcwa@sdcwa.org along with a mailing address for the prizes.
The calculator is one of several new Water Authority initiatives designed to help the region make the most of its limited water supplies. For more information about water-efficient plant fairs, turf grass replacement incentives and outdoor water conservation tips, go to www.sdcwa.org/conservation.