Water Conservation

Our region is currently under a drought. Please conserve water and learn how you can help.

We work with our municipalities to encourage residential and commercial water conservation.

Since 2008, we’ve worked with Neponset Watershed communities on town-wide water conservation efforts. NepRWA’s Water Conservation Program includes:

  • Rebate programs for water-efficient toilets and clothes washers
  • Giveaway programs for water-efficient showerheads, faucet aerators, and irrigation shutoff sensors
  • Annual water education programs for over 3,000 students in public and private schools
  • Advocacy at the local and state levels
  • Public outreach via bill inserts, mailings, web posts, and events

Reducing water use helps prevent low streamflow in the Neponset River and its tributaries, which can impact:

  • Wildlife
  • Recreation
  • Public safety
  • Drinking water supplies

Please email outreach@neponset.org with any questions about our Water Conservation Program.

How Water Use Impacts the Neponset Watershed

Over 120,000 residents of the Neponset Watershed rely on local groundwater for some or all of their drinking water. Much of that groundwater is pumped out by public water suppliers before it can flow into the Neponset River, its streams, and ponds.

Excessive water use can cause low streamflow for the Neponset River and tributaries, which affects wildlife, recreation, public safety, and our drinking water supply.

Drought also has a big impact on the amount of water that flows through the Watershed. Get current MA drought status.

Always follow outdoor water restrictions in your community (even if you use a private well) to ensure that there is enough water in town for drinking, public health, and firefighting.

Where Does My Water Come From?

In the Neponset Watershed, your water may come from local groundwater sources and reservoirs, or a distant location in central Massachusetts. It depends on where you live.

Learn where your town gets its drinking water from!

Conserve Water

Summertime lawn watering uses almost 50% more water than indoor winter usage, and depletes the groundwater that sustains local streams and ecosystems.

Each spring, most towns in the Neponset Watershed implement outdoor water use restrictions to help conserve our water supply.

By reducing lawn and garden watering during dry periods, we help ensure there’s enough water for essential needs like drinking, sanitation, and firefighting.

Town Rebate Programs

Many of the Neponset Watershed communities offer rebates for water-conserving appliances, like toilets and clothes washers.

In addition, some towns offer discounted rain barrels and irrigation sensors, and give away FREE water-efficient showerheads and faucet aerators.

Replacing older, inefficient water appliances is one of the most effective ways to reduce water use in your home — and save money on water bills.

Click on the link below to see what your town offers.

Town Rebate Programs

If you are replacing toilets, showerheads, or faucets, look for the WaterSense label at your local retailer.

WaterSense is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program designed to encourage water efficiency in the United States through the use of a special label on consumer products.

WaterSense is to water appliances what Energy Star is to electrical items.

Easy-to-fix faucet and toilet leaks waste thousands of gallons of water a year. Fixing leaks helps conserve water for drinking, wildlife habitats, and firefighting.

Toilets

The most common sources of leaks in the home are from leaking toilets, which can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day.

Sometimes you can hear the toilet water “running”, but more often than not, toilet leaks are silent.

All toilets should be tested for leaks on a regular basis — even toilets that are just a few years old.

The reason? Mineral deposits and worn toilet flappers. Flappers are an inexpensive, easy-to-replace rubber part that can be found at most hardware stores.

Test your toilet to see if your flapper is leaking:

  1. Place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank
  2. Wait about 5 minutes WITHOUT flushing.
  3. If any color shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.

When replacing a worn toilet flapper, be sure to get a flapper designed for your toilet make and model.

BONUS: Many Neponset River Watershed towns offer generous rebates for the purchase of an EPA WaterSense labeled water-efficient toilet. Check with your local water department to see if you qualify!

Video from YouTube HomeOwner series.

Leaking Faucets

Corrosion, mineral deposits, or defective parts are usually the cause of a leaking faucet, and it can waste hundreds of gallons of water a month.

Do-it-yourself fixes are not difficult and can save you from paying expensive plumbing fees. In addition to saving water, you’ll also be saving the energy it takes to heat the water.

If it’s time for a new faucet, be sure to choose a water-efficient WaterSense labeled model.

Faucet repair video from www.homefrontstan.com

Leaky Showerheads

Some leaky showerheads can be fixed by making sure there is a tight connection between the showerhead and the pipe stem and by using pipe tape to secure it.

Pipe tape, also called Teflon tape, is available at most hardware stores, is easy to apply, and can help control leaks.

For more complicated valve leaks in showers that drip when not in use, contact an experienced handyperson or licensed plumber.

Outdoor Faucet Leaks

Outdoor leaks often go unnoticed because they aren’t always visible.  Check outdoor faucets for leaks on a regular basis during the spring and summer. The smallest leaks add up to hundreds of wasted gallons of water.

Outdoor faucet repair from the Alliance for Water Efficiency.

Check your water bill and meter

  • Analyze your water bill.  If a family of four with updated fixtures exceeds 6,000 gallons per month over the winter, there’s a good chance that you have a leak somewhere in your house.
  • Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes, you probably have a leak.

Lawn & Garden

  • Plan for the weather. Choose plants and landscaping that can handle dry conditions to save water and money.
  • Only water when needed. Step on your grass—if it springs back, it doesn’t need water. Lawns in our area only need about 1 inch of water per week to stay healthy.
  • Keep your lawn healthy. Remove thatch (dead grass buildup) and aerate the soil so water can reach the roots.
  • Mow high. Set your mower blades higher and cut no more than one-third of the grass height at a time. Taller grass shades the soil, helps keep water in, and reduces weeds.
  • Minimize fertilizer use. Most lawns don’t need it, and excess fertilizer can wash into storm drains and pollute local waterways. If you choose to fertilize, use organic or phosphate-free products, sweep up any extra from hard surfaces, and never apply it before it rains.

Learn more about water smart gardening!

Irrigation

  • Redirect your downspouts. Aim them toward your lawn, garden, shrubs, or a rain barrel to help water your plants and reduce runoff.
  • Don’t water on windy days. More than half the water can blow away or evaporate before it reaches the ground.
  • Upgrade your irrigation system. Use moisture sensors instead of just a timer so your sprinklers run only when needed.
  • Fix leaks. Check and repair leaks in sprinklers, irrigation systems, and outdoor faucets to avoid wasting water.
Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only—not the street or sidewalk.
Reduce the amount of grass in your yard by planting shrubs and ground cover, or by landscaping with pervious materials, such as mulch, rocks, bricks, and pavers.

Water Management Act

NepRWA works with our towns and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to make sure there are adequate protections for water resources incorporated into municipal policies and through Water Management Act (WMA) permits.

The Water Management Act (WMA) authorizes MassDEP to regulate the amount of water that can be taken (or withdrawn) from groundwater or surface water sources to be used as drinking and irrigation water.

NepRWA has a significant interest in these permits because:

  • Water withdrawals from the Neponset Watershed impact the amount of water available in streams and the River.
    • Most notably, we see impacts during dry weather (seasonally from about May to September) which happens to coincide with a time when many water users increase their use to include outdoor irrigation of lawns.
  • The impacts of climate change will exacerbate drought conditions, increasing the importance of water conservation over the long term.