Locally, the San Jose Water Company provides a full range of water conservation services designed to help homeowners spot problem areas regarding water usage. The company offers free water audits in Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Campbell and Cupertino. By identifying ways to save water, homeowners can protect their home investment and save money and energy at the same time. Three water conservation inspectors provide more than 1,000 water audits every year. They provide customers with tips for leak detection, proper landscape irrigation scheduling and other conservation techniques.

More than 14,000 gallons of water are wasted every year in the average home in Santa Clara County due to leaks, mostly from toilets. Broken sprinklers or defective sprinkler systems provide another source of water leakage. Appliances can also be culprits, especially older less efficient washing machines. It's a fact that water use inside the home accounts for half the cost of a typical monthly water bill.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District also offers a house call program for residents not served by San Jose Water Company. Previous participants in the program have lowered their water use by as much as 30 gallons per day to save about 11,000 gallons per year.

When the San Jose Water Company conducts a water audit, it will give homeowners specific water use tips that address issues at their home and property. Depending on the size of the property and home, the average home audit with two bathrooms generally takes about one hour. Audits are scheduled on an appointment basis. Spanish-speaking auditors are available.

Auditors provide free shower heads if needed and provide faucet aerators for kitchens and bathrooms. Outside, they evaluate the irrigation system for efficiency and provide the customer with advice on the most efficient times and how often to water the lawn. The auditors show customers how to read their water meter, provide water conservation program materials and water-wise landscaping tips.

San Jose Water company also participates with the Santa Clara Valley Water District to promote water conversation through rebate programs. Rebate programs are currently available for toilets, washers and water softeners. Details and information can be found at www.valleywater.org.

Another informative and interactive website developed by the California Urban Water Conservation Council under a cooperative agreement with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency highlights the top five actions homeowners can take to save water around the home. This unique web site at www.h2ouse.org features a tour showing how to save water, money and energy in different areas of the home.

According to the council, the first step homeowners should take to conserve water is to stop unseen leaks. One way to tell if there is a leak is to turn off all water taps both inside and outside the home and record the meter reading. Check the meter in a couple of hours and if it has changed, there may be a leak. Some meters have a separate indicator to identify leaks, either a red or blue arrow, that would continue to move even when all the water is shut off in the home.

There are some obvious sources for leaks, including a toilet that is constantly running, a continual drip in a sink or from an outdoor faucet, a loose washer connection or sprinkler systems that have developed gushers due to a broken sprinkler head.

It's a good idea to check an irrigation or sprinkler system to see if there is water in the gutters or mud puddles in the yard to indicate a problem. Much water waste centers on a system that is not routinely maintained. In addition, keeping track of when and how often the system comes on is important too. Many people forget to turn the system to the rain mode during the winter season causing the sprinklers to run even when it's raining outside. Reviewing the schedule and checking the system out on a monthly basis will help keep tabs on water usage and waste.

When looking inside the home for water savings, there are probably two likely sources responsible for the most water usage—the toilet and the clothes washer. If a home was built before 1992, there's a good chance the toilet is not one of the newer high-efficiency toilets that have been designed to save water. It might be possible to earn a rebate of up to $125 through the Santa Clara County rebate program with the purchase of a high efficiency toilet that flushes at 3.5 gallons per flush or greater.

The second largest water user in the home is often the clothes washer. Energy Star-rated washers often use 30 to 50 percent less water and 50 percent less energy per load. Buying a high efficiency- washer could be worth $50, in addition to the savings generated by less water usage, through another rebate program offered by the Santa Clara Valley Water District.

There is also a Pilot Water Softener Rebate Program that targets residential water softener owners who are considering the replacement of an old inefficient water softener purchased before November 1999. Homeowners may be eligible for a rebate if they purchase a new water softener between Nov. 15, 2003, and July 31, 2004 that meets the requirements of the program.

There is a wealth of information at the Santa Clara Valley Water District's website at www.valleywater.org, including information about rebate programs. To schedule a free water audit with the San Jose Water Company, call 408.279.7900.