Water Conservation Tips

Sustainability Overview

Clean Communities

EV Charging Infrastructure (coming soon)

Ewing Community Gardens

Green Business Recognition

Lawns

Leave the Leaves

-- Leave the Leaves - for Homeowners
-- Leave the Leaves for Landscapers

Native/Invasive Species Education

-- Emerald Ash Borer
-- Wild About Ewing (Ewing Green Team)

Only Rain Down the Storm Drains (coming soon)

Recycling / Paper Shredding Initiatives

-- Brush and Bulk Waste
-- Paper Shredding
-- Project Medicine Drop

Stormwater

-- Stormwater Management
-- Stormwater Resources
-- Report Road Salt Spillage

Water Conservation

-- Water Conservation Tips

Understanding Your Water Bill from the EPA's WaterSense

Trenton Water Works 

We need to be smarter about water.  The following tips can help you to save thousands of gallons of water which inevitably saves money.  That's right, thousands of gallons!   Saving water works to protect natural ecosystems for future generations. The conservation of water also saves energy, reducing an individual's ecological footprint.

Be Water Wise Indoors

Save Water in the Bathroom

Did you know?  The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of two gallons per minute.

• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, washing your face, or shaving.
• Take shorter showers and don’t turn on until you’re ready to step in. Showers also generally use less water than a bath. If you love your baths, fill the tub only about 1/4 full. This is enough to cover an adult's body or float a child's toy.
• Your toilet is not a wastebasket - don't use it to flush away cigarette butts or Kleenex.

Save Water in the Kitchen

• Remove frozen foods from freezer before you're ready to use them so you won't have to use running water to hasten thawing.
• Always use lids on pots and pans and use the smallest amount of water possible in cooking to save both water and nutrients. Most frozen vegetables require about 1/2 to 1 cup of water, not half a saucepan.
• Rather than letting the water run while peeling vegetables, rinse them briefly at the beginning and end of the chore.
• Don't let the faucet run for a cold drink. Keep a jug of water cooling in the refrigerator.
• When washing dishes by hand, use a stopper in the sink and don't rinse with running water.
• Use low sudsing detergents - they require less rinsing.
• Adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vinegar to your wash water cuts grease more readily than hot water alone.

Save Water with Water Efficient Appliances

• Be sure to fix any leaks in your faucets (Even a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day.)
• Replace older showerheads with low-flow fixtures and install low-volume toilets.
• Use water-efficient dishwashers and clothes washers and run them only when full. Use the pre-wash, rinse-hold and scrub cycles of your dishwasher only when necessary.
• Insulate the hot water heater, pay special attention to the insulation qualities of the shell. Avoid buying a larger tank than necessary for your needs.

Be Water Wise Outdoors

Save Water Outdoors

• Wash your car only at a car wash – they are required by law to recycle the water used.
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clean the garage, sidewalks, and driveway.
• Harvest rainwater with rain barrels to water your landscape and gardens.
• Landscape your yard with native plants. They are adapted to the area and need less supplemental watering.
• Install a rain garden to collect and filter water runoff – see the Ewing Green Team’s webpage on Rain Gardens for more information.
• Mulch around your plants to prevent evaporation AND weeds.
• When you must water: Water the root zone of plants instead of the foliage and water deeply and less frequently for a deeper, healthier root system.
• Water Conservation Tips for Pools & Spas – Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation. See the EPA’s Jump into Pool Water Efficiency for extended recommendations.

• Reduce the amount of water guzzling lawn on your property.
• If you must irrigate, water your lawns and gardens in the morning to minimize evaporation.
• A lush green lawn requires 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water a week. Water three times a week applying about 1/2 inch at a time. Keep in mind the amount of rainfall and adjust your watering schedule accordingly.
• If you let your grass grow to about 1-1/2 to 2 inches in the summer, water loss will be reduced because the blades will provide shade for the roots.
• Don’t over fertilize lawns, which causes them to need more water to survive.
• Grasscycle.  Let your grass clippings fall back to the lawn.  This can be done without any detriment to the lawn with the proper mowing frequency. They decompose quickly and provide a source of recycled nutrients and organic matter for the soil.  The improved soil has better water holding capacity and drainage.  FYI, grass clippings do not contribute to thatch accumulation.  Printable flyer from Ewing's Department of Public Works.

Check out the Rutgers Fact Sheet on Conserving Water on Home Lawns and Landscapes in New Jersey.

Businesses also need to be smarter about water.  The following tips can help you to save thousands of gallons of water which inevitably saves money and improves your bottom line.  

Conduct a Water Audit

Before doing anything else, businesses should conduct a water audit to learn where the areas of the greatest waste and the greatest potential for saving might be.  They can then set their water saving goals . 

Promote Change of Personal Habits

• Install reminder signs in restrooms to encourage water conservation.
  Turn off the tap when washing hands | Don't flush away cigarette butts or Kleenex.
• Similarly, install signage in your business kitchen about water saving habits.
  Use lids on pots and pans and use the smallest amount of water possible in cooking | Don't let the faucet run unnecessarily, whether for washing dishes or a cold drink. Keep a jug of water cooling in the refrigerator.
• Install a water fountain/cooler to reduce usage of individual plastic water bottles.

Fix Leaks

Leaky pipes and appliances can waste hundreds of gallons of water annually.  Eradicating leaks should be a priority and an easy focus for a business.  To learn more about using technology to assist go Advance Metering Infrastructure at the EPA’s WaterSense pages.

Install High Efficiency Appliances/Fixtures

• Installed low water usage toilets.
• Install high efficiency faucet aerators.
• Upgrade to WaterSense dishwashers and laundry equipment.

Save Water Outdoors

• Adopt water saving landscaping practices.
  Plant native plants that are well-adapted to the local climate, requiring less water to thrive. | Use drip irrigation systems which deliver water to the roots rather than sprayed in the air. | Smart controllers ensure that water is delivered precisely where and only when it’s needed. | Don’t forget to maintain your system to avoid leaks.
• Clean outdoor surfaces by dry sweeping.
• Utilize greywater (recycled water) to reduce reliance on freshwater supplies. Recycled water must be treated to meet specific standards and can be used for landscaping, toilet flushing, or industrial processes.

• Ewing Township installed water refill stations in our public buildings to reduce the use of bottled water by site visitors. There are four in the municipal building at 2 Jake Garzio Drive. There is one at the Hollowbrook Community Center at 320 Hollowbrook Drive.
• Low flow toilets installed at municipal facilities…
• Annual Stream Cleanups every spring in partnership with The Watershed Institute.
• Education and Outreach -  Ewing Green Team's "Build a Rain Barrel Presentation" October 12, 2024.

WaterSense  A label for water-efficient products and a resource for helping consumers save water. From the Environmental Protection Agency.

Leaks Can Run, but They Can't Hide Are you ready to chase down leaks? Household leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide, so each year we hunt down  the drips during the EPA’s annual Fix a Leak Week.

The Watershed Institute - Keeping water clean, safe and healthy. They work to protect and restore the local waters and natural environment in central New Jersey through conservation, advocacy, science and education.  Their River-Friendly program works to educate citizens to conserve water by decreasing indoor and outdoor water usage through efforts aimed at minimizing unnecessary water use or by capturing rainwater for later use.

New Jersey Drought Information The Division of Water Supply and Geoscience within the Department of Environmental Protection, regularly monitors various water supply conditions within the state based on the different Water Supply Regions, and keeps NJ residents up-to-date on possible drought conditions.