As you may know, Governor Brown recently proclaimed a water shortage emergency throughout the state of California.  Water fed to Ventura residents through Ventura Water is provided by three main sources: the Ventura River, Lake Casitas and groundwater.  Water levels in the river have remained extremely low due to the lower than normal precipitation in the area.  Lake Casitas is currently at 60% capacity, with the allocation of water to be implemented if it reaches 50%.  In response, Ventura requests voluntary water use reduction by at least 10% from all its residents as soon as possible.

In the Kitchen

Now would be a great time to consider upgrading your appliances to newer, more energy-efficient models in your Ventura home.  An EnergyStar dishwasher, for example, uses less than 5.5 gallons per load.  This is much more efficient than washing by hand.  However, if a new dishwasher isn’t in the budget, consider replacing the aerator in your faucet to help reduce the amount of water coming through.  If you refrigerator doesn’t have a “water in the door” option, fill a container with water and keep it in the fridge so you don’t have to run the faucet to wait for the water to get cold enough when you want a drink.

In the Bathroom

Did you know that approximately 25% of your entire indoor water consumption is in the bathroom?  Check for leaks in the toilet (this can waste as much as 500 gallons a day).  Replace the aerator in the sink’s faucet.  Don’t run the water when brushing your teeth.  Since shower heads can wear out, replace old ones with a more efficient WaterSense model.

In the Laundry Room

Another huge source of indoor water use in your Ventura home (approximately 25%) comes from washing laundry.  If a new washer/dryer set is in your future, consider front loading washers instead of top loading ones.  They use less water AND less energy to run.  Always use the proper water setting for each load and adjust accordingly.

Outdoor Watering

It stands to reason that the biggest culprit of water usage in any Ventura household is actually outside the home (as much as 50% of the total household water usage).  Install a timer for your sprinkler system to automatically set the time of day and amount of time you water.  Make sure your sprinklers are turned off during rainy weather.  During winter, you should only need to water once a week.  Use plants and grass native to the area for maximum water efficiency.  Once a month, check for leaky or misaligned sprinkler heads and broken pipes.

You can find out how your Ventura household fares in their water usage by using the water calculator at Home Water Works.  Ventura requests a voluntary water use reduction from all its citizens as soon as possible.  Please do your part so we don’t have to go to water rationing in the future.  Thank you.

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Dave and Pat Zumbrun, Your Ventura County real estate specialists