Cut water use, save on wastewater charges

AUSTIN (KXAN) - If your lawn is still green, it’s likely you’re still watering. It's been more than 25 days since the last time it rained in Austin.

But, now is the time homeowners will probably want to cut back on irrigating lawns. Doing so could lower wastewater charges for the next year.

Austin Water Utility charges for both the water that enters homes and the wastewater that leaves down the drain.

“We, of course, bring potable water or drinkable water to your home, but we also treat the wastewater that leaves your home and we put that back into the Colorado River,” said Jason Hill, Austin Water spokesman. “It’s one big cycle and all of that costs money and of course takes a lot of resources. We have to bill for water and we have to bill for wastewater.”

Since there's no meter for wastewater, Austin Water Utility will take a three-month average of customers' water usage sometime from November to March to determine wastewater charges.

They use the winter months because it’s a more accurate depiction of indoor water usage.

Austin Water has a number of tools online to help customers navigate the process.

One way to make sure your bill is as low as possible: conserve.

"Outdoor irrigation,” said Hill. “That's where our customers use the most water. So that's the low-hanging fruit, the really juicy stuff, right? But when you go inside, it may not be just the one measure; it's a number of measures working together that makes a really big difference."

Hill advises to think of where you use the most water.

"The faucet, the sink, the toilet, the shower, the washing machine, the dishwater,” said Hill. “It's in those areas where our customers can really save."

Some ways to save water in the winter and help lower the wastewater average are:

• fix all leaky faucets and toilets
• turn off irrigation systems for the fall and winter months
• run the dishwasher and washing machine only with a full load
• take shorter showers—place a timer in bathrooms
• when buying new water-using appliances look for the WaterSense® label
• visit WaterWiseAustin.org for more water conservation ideas