(Kansas City, Mo.) – As Drinking Water Week concludes, KC Water, the American Water Works Association and water professionals across North America encourage consumers to conserve water.
Unlike other parts of the country, Kansas City is fortunate to be situated along the Missouri River which provides more than enough water to meet Kansas City’s daily needs. However, water is no longer a low-cost utility. Rising rates are an issue for many customers.
Customers can practice conservation by using water wisely at home through the following steps, which are available on DrinkTap.org:
- Repair leaky faucets, indoors and out.
- Fill your sink or basin when washing and rinsing dishes.
- Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when they are full.
- Take short showers instead of baths.
- Turn off the water to brush teeth, shave and soap up in the shower. Fill the sink to shave.
- Repair leaky toilets. Add 12 drops of food coloring into the tank, and if color appears in the bowl one hour later, the toilet is leaking.
- Install a toilet dam, faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads.
- Apply mulch around shrubs and flower beds to reduce evaporation, promote plant growth and control weeds.
- Collect rainfall for irrigation in a screened container (to prevent mosquito larvae growth).
- Always use a broom to clean walkways, driveways, decks and porches, rather than hosing off these areas.
“We recognize water is no longer a low-cost utility and rising rates are a problem for many customers. And so water conservation can ease some of those costs,” says KC Water Director Terry Leeds. “KC Water provides three services: water, wastewater and stormwater. The wastewater section is rising the fastest due to our requirement of meeting an unfunded mandate by the EPA to reduce sewer overflows by 2035. We are working with the EPA to find some flexibility which could make a difference in rates. Meanwhile, we will continue to provide safe, great-tasting and reliable water to our customers on a daily basis.”
About Drinking Water Week
For more than 40 years, AWWA and its members have celebrated Drinking Water Week, a unique opportunity for both water professionals and the communities they serve to join together in recognizing the vital role water plays in daily lives. Additional information about Drinking Water Week, including free materials for download and celebration ideas, is available on the Drinking Water Week webpage.
For more information, please contact Brooke Givens, Media Relations Coordinator, at brooke.givens@kcmo.org or 816.513.0284.
###
KC Water maintains and operates water treatment and distribution systems, stormwater management systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems for residential and business customers in Kansas City and for wholesale customers in the Kansas City area. KC Water is primarily funded by fees charged to customers based on their use or impacts on the three utility systems.
Follow KC Water: Website • Facebook • Twitter • YouTube • Instagram • NextDoor