Contact your water supplier. They will explain their policy.
Water
Peninsula Light employs three state-certified Water Distribution Managers. They are responsible to see that each water system we own or manage is in compliance with all water quality standards. Your water is tested regularly by a state-certified laboratory. If any health risks are detected, you are notified directly and given instructions on what to do.
Peninsula Light has several brochures on ways to save water, both indoors and out. They are entitled “Guidelines 1 inch to 4 inches and are located in the community information center in the lobby.
Your meter is read every month. The reader shovels out just enough dirt to see the register and a mole can cover it back over in just a matter of minutes.
Do you have an underground sprinkler system? They are notorious for leaks. The way to tell is to turn the timer off for a few days and watch for “green spots” (or turn the timer off and follow directions in the first question).
You can check your water meter. Just open the box and compare the reading to the one printed on your bill. It should be a bit larger. If it isn’t, we have misread. Please call us at (253) 857-1510 so we can get the situation corrected. If the reading checks out, you may have a water leak. The next time your house will be empty for two or more hours, record the meter reading as you leave. Repeat this as you return. If the reading has changed, you have a leak somewhere.
Toilet flushing uses a lot of water, but a brick in your toilet tank is not a good idea. A brick tends to crumble and might damage the toilet’s mechanism. A glass jar or plastic jug filled with water works well. After any changes, be sure to test the toilet to make sure it’s still working properly. Flow restrictors in shower heads and faucets are another good way to conserve water.
Toilet flushing is by far the largest single use of water in a home. Most toilets use from 4 to 6 gallons of water for each flush. On average, a dishwasher uses about 50% less water than the amount used when washing and rinsing dishes by hand.
Public drinking water is one of the most regulated industries in the United States today. If you want a drink with a different taste, you can buy bottled water, but it costs about 1,000 times as much as tap water. Remember that the U.S. bottled-water industry is less regulated than public drinking water systems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration only requires that the bottled water be clear and safe for human consumption. The quality of the finished product is not monitored (i.e., the FDA imposes no specific water quality requirements on bottled water). Certain bottlers simply fill their bottles with city drinking water, thus producing “bottled water.” Studies have shown that microbes grow in the bottles while on grocers’ shelves. Bottled water is popular; its use in the United States has doubled in the last 6 years.
The cloudy water is caused by tiny air bubbles in the water similar to the gas bubbles in carbonated soft drinks. After a while, the bubbles rise to the top and are gone.