LANCASTER, Pa. — The City of Lancaster Bureau of Water on Monday issued a voluntary conserve water notice for all customers due to moderate drought conditions and the lack of precipitation in the forecast.
"Due to the drought and lack of precipitation, the Conestoga River level is low, where the Water Bureau sources a portion of drinking water," the bureau said in a press release. "The City of Lancaster provides drinking water to over 120,000 people in Lancaster’s metro area."
Under a voluntary conservation request, customers are asked to keep all water to essential needs where possible.
Some examples of non-essential water use are watering lawns and gardens, washing cars, and washing driveways or sidewalks, the bureau said.
Here are a few water conservation tips from the bureau:
- Locate and repair all leaks in faucets, toilets and water-using appliances.
- Adjust all water-using appliances to use the minimum amount of water
- Run the dishwasher and washing machine at full load. If you wash dishes by hand, use a bucket or container with soapy water and only use the faucet for quick rinsing of scrubbed dishes.
- Take 5-minute showers and shallower baths. Turn off the shower while soaping; turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, etc.
- Install flow restrictors in showerheads and faucets.
- Reduce the number of toilet flushes per day. Each flush uses about 5 to 7 gallons. Reduce water used per flush by installing toilet tank displacement inserts. (Low flush toilets use about 1.6 gallons per day and do not need toilet tank displacements.)
- Use sink and tub stoppers to avoid wasting water.
- Keep a bottle of chilled drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running the water till it gets cold.
- Set up a rain barrel to be ready to repurpose rain when it does fall
- Track your water bill and meter to curtail the household's daily water use.
The City of Lancaster will send out another message when drought conditions are over or if further water reduction is needed, the bureau said.
