Water Wise Bathrooms

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WATER WISE Bathroom Water Saving Tips:

Did you know that close to 50% of the water used in a home originates from the bathroom?  Here are some water saving tips:

Check your toilet for leaks

Fixing a leaky toilet can save up to 1,000 gallons of water each month. Most toilet leaks are due to leaking flapper valves. Toilet leak detection dye tablets are available free to City of Olympia water or sewer customers. If you would like to receive free leak detection tablets, e-mail us or call 360.753.8570 to request them.

Take shorter showers

Turn off the water when you're shampooing and lathering up, and turn it back on to rinse. Shortening your showers by two minutes can save up to 150 gallons per month.

Install a low-flow showerhead

They are inexpensive and easy to install, and may save a family of four up to 3,000 gallons per month. Free low-flow showerheads are available to City of Olympia sewer customers. To request a low-flow showerhead, e-mail us (be sure to include your name, address, and phone number) or call 360.753.4444, ext 8390.

Flush the toilet only when necessary

Or consider a water-saving toilet. Every time you flush you use 1.6 or more gallons of water.

Turn off the faucet

while you are shaving or brushing your teeth, and save several gallons of water per minute. Rinse your razor in a glass of water.

Install High-Efficiency Toilets:

High-efficiency toilets (HETs) use an average of 1.2 gallons per flush (gpf), while older, high-volume models use 3.5 to 7 gallons of water for each flush. Early "low-flow" toilets were unpopular because of poor performance reviews; however, the design and performance of HETs has improved significantly in recent years, resulting in toilets that are much more reliable.

You may be eligible to participate in the LOTT Alliance High-Efficiency Toilet Voucher Program - Find out how!

Consider Composting Toilets:

Composting toilets don't use water to flush waste away and they don't require connection to a plumbing, septic, or sewer system. They use microorganisms that are naturally present in human waste as well as added organic materials or electricity to decompose waste into humus, a component of soil. The humus produced can then be used as a soil additive for lawns or gardens that don't produce food. For City of Olympia sewer customers, rebates of up to $350 are available toward the purchase of composting toilets approved by the State Department of Health. For more information, call 360.753.8271 or download the Rebate Form. 

Contact Public Works

• Mailing Address:  PO Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507
• Physical Address: 924 7th Ave. SE, Suite A (directions)
• Hours:  M - F from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except for City-recognized holidays)
• 360.753.8588, TTY 360.753.8270
• publicworks@ci.olympia.wa.us
• Visit Public Works home page