City of Southlake

Water Conservation:

The City of Southlake is pursuing various avenues to provide information to its citizens and local businesses about the importance of water conservation. Water conservation education is a key component of the City's long term strategy to reach its per capita goals of 190 gallons per person per day by 2015, and a further reduction to 180 gallons per person per day by 2020. Currently, per capita numbers reach 500 gallons per person during extremely hot summer days primarily because of the large amounts of water used to irrigate lawns and landscapes.

Did you know?

• Water regulates the Earth's temperature.
• Nearly 97% of all the world's water is salty or undrinkable, 2% is frozen, leaving 1% for our use.
• A person can survive about a month without food, but only 5-7 days without water.
• Every day in the U.S. we drink about 110 million gallons of water.
• Outdoors, the lawn accounts for the largest consumption of water.
• Indoors, the bathroom accounts for the largest consumption of water.
• An average bath takes 40 gallons of water; a 5 minute shower uses 15-20 gallons.
• Toilet leaks can be detected in about 30 minutes by adding a few drops of food coloring to the tank.
• Front-load washers save approximately 15 gallons of water per load, or approximately, 6,390 gallons of water per year.
• Front-load washers also use about 68% less electricity to heat the water providing even more savings.

In addition to working with the local media, communicating through the Southlake Program for the Involvement of Neighborhoods (SPIN), including short messages on the utility bills, mailing an annual conservation flyer, leaving door hangers with water conservation reminders, sending out Connect CTY phone and email messages, and personally visiting with residents and local business owners whenever possible, the City has also created visual aids for communicating the water conservation message.

• Signs placed at key intersections and sub-division entrances throughout the City.

• Magnetic signs placed on the City's fleet.

• Stars and Stripes July 4th Celebration at Town Square:
  • Refrigerator magnets; one of many giveaways at the festival.

• • City employee, Linda Sadler, speaks with residents about water conservation and teaches a young resident below how to use a rain gauge (picture 2).

• • City employee, Christi Upton, speaks with young residents about stormwater pollution prevention and how stormwater travels downstream using a water shed model.

• • Residents have fun while learning about stormwater prevention measures.

Archived water conservation information mailed to Southlake residents and businesses:

• Water Conservation Flyer - Summer 2010
• Water Conservation Flyer - Summer 2009
• Water Conservation Newsletter - Summer 2008
• Water Conservation Flyer - Summer 2008
• Water Conservation Flyer - Summer 2007 & 2006

Related Links:

• Water Conservation Main Page
• Stages of Drought Contingency
• Water Rates
• Southlake's Green Home Page
• Utility Billing Department