SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- California American Water is encouraging its Sacramento customers to be mindful of their water consumption during the summer, particularly outdoor use.

"We had a cool, wet spring, which has helped the region's water supply, however, that doesn't mean we can ease up on being water efficient," said Andy Soule, California American Water's Northern Division general manager. "Conservation is important during the summer and residents can play a crucial role in determining our success through efficient water use. With the hot weather comes a significant increase in outdoor water consumption by residential customers."

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, peak water usage in the average American home can spike up to 1,000 gallons a day during the summer, compared to an average of 260 gallons per day during cooler temperatures.

We make it a priority to help our Sacramento-area customers reduce their water use by providing a variety of conservation programs, rebates and give-aways.  Metered customers will also save money on their water bill when they conserve.  Some simple suggestions to conserve water include:

• Water no more than three days per week during the summer months.
• Water before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. to prevent water evaporation.  
• Limit outdoor watering to 15 minutes outdoors per station.  Use a weather-based controller to prevent overwatering.
• Use a hose nozzle with a shut-off valve while washing your vehicles.
• Turn off decorative water features unless they re-circulate water.
• Repair your leaks immediately.  This could save hundreds of gallons of wasted water a month.  
• Avoid water waste by doing your best to limit water use while doing yard work.  Don't allow water to runoff onto sidewalks, driveways or gutters.  Use a broom instead of a hose to wash down paved surfaces.
• Pick up free water-saving shower heads, hose nozzles and faucet aerators at our local office.

California American Water offers rebates on water-saving appliances, leak detection kits and other conservation tools and ideas.  

In addition, California American Water also offers all Sacramento customers a free home water use survey, where, upon request, the company will dispatch a conservation specialist to the customer's home to look for leaks and other areas of water savings. After the inspection, the specialist will draft a personalized plan with suggested changes in water-use habits and/or repairs to help the customer save water.

California American Water customers can sign-up for these services by stopping by its local office located at 4701 Beloit Drive, Sacramento, CA, 95838 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or by calling (916) 568-4201. For more information on these and other programs please visit our website at http://www.amwater.com/caaw/ and click on the "Conservation and Rebates" link under the Learning Center tab.

California American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 600,000 people.  

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company.  With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 16 million people in 35 states, as well as Ontario and Manitoba, Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

SOURCE California American Water