Customers of Bayou Des Cannes Water System in Basile are being asked to conserve water due to the drought.
Bayou Cannes Water System has experienced low pressure in the evenings due to demand.
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources recommends the following water conservation tips:
- Use washing machines and dishwashers only when they are fully loaded. Skip any nonessential rinse cycles, use the proper water level or load size selection on the washing machine.
- Take showers instead of baths. An average five-minute shower uses 25 to 50 gallons of water, each extra minute consumes 5 to 10 gallons.
- Don't run water while shaving, brushing teeth, or washing dishes by hand. Shut off the water while you brush.
- Don't hand-wash or pre-wash the dishes; the dishwasher uses half the water.
- It takes two to seven gallons of water to flush a toilet. Leaks inside the toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day. Toilet leaks can be detected by adding a few drops of food coloring to water in the toilet tank. If the colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking.
- Place a weighted plastic gallon jug in the tanks of conventional toilets to displace and save an equal amount of water with each flush.
- Turn off the water in the shower while soaping or shampooing.
- Use a dishpan or plug the sink for washing and rinsing dishes, if a dishwasher is not available.
- Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways, steps and sidewalks.
- Water your garden during the coolest part of the day. Do not water on windy days.
- Use mulch around shrubs and garden plants to reduce evaporation from the soil surface and cut down on weed growth, which will reduce water needs.
- Collect water with a bucket while waiting for the shower water to heat up and use it later for watering plants.
- Inspect and repair all leaking faucets, pipes, hoses, and toilets.
- Install new showerheads and sink faucets equipped with water saving devices, such as aerators or spray taps.
- Refrigerate tap water to avoid running the faucet for a long period to get cold water.
- Direct downspouts, gutters and air conditioner drips toward shrubbery or trees, and collect rainwater in a large bucket for other outside uses.
- Cover pools and spas to reduce evaporation.
