Woman watering lawn with hose

What you can do to be water wise

We may live in a rainforest, but our treated drinking water does not fall from the sky. It is important to be water wise every day by:

  • Minimizing your use of treated drinking water
    Water use doubles in the summer due to lawn and garden irrigation. Minimizing your outdoor water use is the single biggest thing you can do in the summer to save our treated drinking water for where it's needed most: drinking, cooking, and cleaning.

  • Taking action to keep our waterways healthy and clean
    Whatever goes down the storm drain directly affects aquatic life and water quality. Help protect our waterways by ensuring that toxic chemicals and street litter don’t go down the drain at home or in the storm sewer.

Waterwise challenge

Try this fun #waterwise game to learn about conserving water at home.

Let your lawn go gold

Let your lawn go gold

Your lawn only needs one inch of water a week to stay healthy.

Create a water wise garden

Create a water wise garden

Reduce outdoor water use by choosing waterwise plants and watering only with a spring-loaded shut-off nozzle.

Check for leaks

Check for leaks

Water leaks from the average household accounts for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted each year.

Avoid washing your car on the street

Avoid washing your car on the street

Washing your car on the street is illegal because it flushes soap and grease into curb drains, polluting our waterways.

Programs and services

Children and the environment

Get links to programs and resources for teachers and parents, and fun interactive activities for children.

Contact information, partner agencies, and website policies