By MATT MAURY

Two months ago in this column we examined ways to save water around the home. Some folks have asked, "Why concern ourselves when we have so much rain and snow throughout the year in the Pacific Northwest?" A very good question!

Drinking water for the Seattle area comes from the Cedar River Watershed and the Tolt River Watershed in eastern King County. Those watersheds are of fixed size and collect the rain and snow that fall within their boundaries each year. The amount of water collected each year supplies year-round needs of 26 water districts.

As the local population continues to grow, there is an increased demand for a limited amount of water. Currently, the average consumption of water is almost 79 gallons per day, per person. Since it will not be raining 79 more gallons each day for every new person in Seattle, we have to begin looking for ways to cut our average consumption.

That is the reason that the Seattle Public Utility District and 25 other local water providers have established a plan to reduce water consumption by 10 percent per person over the next 10 years. Perhaps you have seen or heard the ads for "1% Water Conservation." The goal of this program is to encourage everybody to reduce water usage by 1 percent or more for each of the next 10 years.

The key to this program is to conserve water at home. Surprisingly, more water is used in homes than in the offices and businesses of our region. A Seattle PUD publication states: "Every day, each one of us makes over 20 different decisions about when and how much water to use. The decisions include how long of a shower to take, whether to do a load of laundry, and how long to leave the water running when at the sink."

Here's a breakdown of how many gallons a day the average person uses: Toilet-13 gallons; Clothes Washer-11 gallons; Shower-9 gallons; Faucets-8 gallons; Leaks-6 gallons; Bath-1 gallon; Dishwasher-1 gallon; All Outdoor Uses-30 gallons.

Of note is that the OUTDOOR USES for watering lawns and gardens, washing cars, pressure washing driveways, etc., averages 30 gallons per day, all year long, even though most of that water is used during the summer. That is why the local utilities urge homeowners to have a watering plan; better still a sprinkling system on a timer; best of all, a landscape plan that requires little or no watering. Also, they suggest using hose nozzles that can be shut off between uses.

The appliance that uses the most water is the CLOTHES WASHER. To encourage homeowners to convert to the newer, water-efficient washing machines, the utilities are offering $100 REBATES to residential customers purchasing qualifying machines. Information is available at 206-684-7283.

The RESIDENTIAL TOILETS consumer the most water each day. While there is not a rebate program currently available for a conversion to the water-efficient toilet, this project may make economic sense. People interested in this subject should review the column in July's issue, which can be referenced at www.jetcitymaven.com.

One thing that stands out on the above list is the amount of water wasted by leaks. While a crack in the main water line leading into a home will spill gallons of water quickly, it is promptly noticed and repaired. It's the dripping faucets and slowly, but constantly running toilets that are the major culprits for leakage. These problems can be fixed relatively easily and inexpensively, saving huge volumes of water each year.

And, every gallon saved will reduce a homeowner's water and sewer bill!

For those desiring more information about the local water supply and its consumption, go to the Seattle PUD Web site at www.ci.seattle.wa.us/util. Also found there is additional information about the "1% Water Conservation Program."