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Save Water & Lower Your Bill

A woman helps two children wash their hands at a kitchen sink.

Saving water can help lower your bill and protect our environment, and there are many simple ways to save water every day.

Free water-saving products

Tacoma Water customers can request free water-saving products through our online form. You can choose from efficient showerheads, faucet aerators, hose spray nozzles and hose timers.

Choose the products that work best for your home, and we’ll deliver them directly to you. You must live in the Tacoma Water service area to qualify.

Free water-saving products for your home

Request your free kit

Water-saving tools and resources

Chrome handheld showerhead spraying water in a tiled bathroom beside a bright window.

Water Use Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate how much water you use each day. It can also help you find areas where you may be able to save water.
Use the Water Use Calculator
Chrome bathroom faucet dripping water into a white sink, with blurred green plants in the background.

Drip Calculator

Use this calculator from the American Water Works Association to estimate how much water a dripping faucet can waste.
Use the Drip Calculator

Ways to save water

Looking for more ways to save? Explore these tips and choose the ones that work for your home.

The average American home wastes about 10,000 gallons of water each year, mostly from small leaks. That is enough to fill a backyard swimming pool! 

You can prevent many leaks once you know what to look for. 

Learn more about fixing leaks

 

High-efficiency toilets can use as little as 1 gallon of water per flush. Older models may use 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush. 

If you replace an older toilet with a high-efficiency model, you could save up to 2,400 gallons of water each month and about $78 each year on your water bill. 

When you shop for a toilet, look for the WaterSense label. 

Learn more about WaterSense

A family of four could save 3,600 gallons of water and about $60 in utility costs each year by using efficient showerheads. 

New efficient showerheads use about 1.5 to 2 gallons of water per minute. Showerheads made before 1994 may use 2.75 to 8 gallons per minute. 

Tacoma Water customers can request a free water-efficient showerhead. 

Request a free showerhead

A faucet aerator screws onto the end of your faucet and mixes air with the water stream. This helps you use less water. 

An efficient faucet with an aerator can use about half a gallon of water per minute and cost about 80 cents per month to use. A standard faucet that uses 2.5 gallons per minute can cost about $4 per month. 

Tacoma Water customers can request free faucet aerators. 

Request a free aerator

Newer, more efficient dishwashers can use as little as 3 gallons of water per cycle. Older models may use up to 14 gallons. 

Fill your dishwasher before you run it to make the most of each load. 

If you wash dishes by hand, fill the sink with water and soap instead of letting the faucet run while you wash.

The average household washes about 300 loads of laundry each year. 

A newer, more efficient washer that uses about 10 gallons per load can cut your water use by up to 75%. 

Smart irrigation rebate

Water use in our area rises by about 60% during the summer, mostly because of outdoor watering. Overwatering wastes about half of this water. 

You can reduce water waste and lower your bill by watering only what your lawn and plants need. For many lawns, about 1 inch of water per week is enough. An efficient irrigation system can also help you use less water. 

Explore Smart Irrigation Rebate Details

A hand points to a Rain Bird WR2 wireless sensor mounted beside an ESP-ME3 irrigation controller on a brick wall.

Outdoor watering and yard care

You can keep your lawn and garden healthy while using water wisely. These resources can help you plan when and how much to water: