Free Conservation Supplies | Water Saving Appliance Rebates | mPower Placer
Resources | Helpful Hints | Outdoor Conservation | Conservation Education

Free Conservation Supplies Available from the North Tahoe Public Utility District

September 26, 2019

Supplies Available in the District Offices at 875 National Avenue for District residents.

• Hose Nozzle (to meet State Law): State law mandates that you may not use your hose to wash vehicles, bikes, RV’s, boats, and trailers without a shut-off nozzle on your hose.
• Hose Timer: Set the timer so your hose will automatically shut off when it has completed. 
• Dish Squeegee: It’s a “two-fer”!  Saves water by allowing you to scrape dishes clean right into the trash with little need for rinsing and puts that FOG (Fats Oils and Grease) into the trash where it belongs!  
• New! Rain Gauge: Find out how much it rained and turn off or adjust irrigation accordingly.  State law mandates no watering within 48 hours of measurable precipitation.
• Leak Detection Dye Tabs: Suspect a running toilet?  Drop one of these tablets into the tank of your toilet and if the water in the bowl turns blue then your flapper valve most likely needs replaced.  A running toilet can drain 1 – 5 gallons per minute of good, clean water straight to the sewer.  That’s 40,000 – 200,000 gallons per month! 
• Shower Timer: Reduce your shower to 5 minutes and save water!  
• Shower Head: The District is offering two (2) different types of shower heads.  They are both 1.5 gpm (gallons per minute).
• Moisture Meter: Avoid overwatering! Keep your plants healthy and save water!  Use it to check your indoor or outdoor plants to see when they need water.

Water Saving Appliance Credit Rebate Program

Thanks to additional grant funds received in late 2015 through Proposition 84, the District has expanded our program and offerings and new credit rebates are available on water saving appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines as well as "smart" irrigation controllers. 

Click on the application in the right hand column for details and limitations, and how to take advantage of these money and water saving rebates.  Appliance rebates are only available for NTPUD residential water customers.

mPower Placer

Placer County property owners can reduce their water usage and help during the drought with financing from mPower.  This money is repaid on your property tax bill.  Click here to visit their website to learn more.

Here are some ideas for projects that might be eligible:

• Replace old irrigation systems with high efficiency spray nozzles and low volume drip systems
• Install weather-based or smart irrigation controllers
• Replace old inefficient water fixtures and toilets with high efficiency low flow fixtures 
• Install Tankless hot water heaters
• Install Recirculating water systems

Placer County - Tahoe mPower Flyer

Water Conservation Web Resources

There are a number of websites available for you to learn more about what you can do to reduce your water consumption.

• Save our Water
• Tahoe Water Suppliers Association
• Water Use it Wisely
• How to decide if you lawn needs to be thatched or aerated. 

Helpful Hints

How to Read Your Bills:

Paper Bill

Electronic Bill

Track down your high water usage

If you are trying to tracking down a water leak and other unexplained water usage, try some of these helpful hints.  

Toilet Scenarios
A running toilet can be a major source of unexplained water usage.
Here are some of the things that can happen that would make your toilet run.

Gallons Per Minute & Gallons Per Day
While a small leak doesn’t seem like much water is going down the drain, cumulatively these small leaks can add up to a lot.
This document shows the amount of water that a small leak that goes unfixed can use.

You can find out exaclty how much water your faucets, showers and those drips are using by picking up your free drip counter and shower and faucet flow meter bag for FREE at the District offices.  

Meter Info
By looking at your meter you can tell if you are using water unexpectedly.
This document explains how to read your meter.

Stop & Drain Valves

Older shut off valves, called Stop and Drain Valves, can also cause unexpected water use.
This document explains how to shut off your valves.

Outdoor Water Conservation Articles from the Tahoe Resource Conservation District

• How to Convert Lawn Sprinklers to Micro Irrigation
• How to Irrigation Maintenance
• How to Lawn Conversion by Sheet Mulching
• How to Remove Turf
• Irrigation Schedule
• Water Efficient Landscaping
• DeMistifying Irrigation
• Handout from Landscape Conservation Workshop August 20, 2013. Hosted by the North Tahoe Public Utility District, UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners and the Tahoe Resource Conservation District. 

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension - Tahoe Home Landscaping Guide

Conservation Education

The North Tahoe Public Utility District has partnered with Tahoe City Public Utility District, Tahoe Water Suppliers Association and Tahoe Resource Conservation District to bring the very popular Trashion Shows to the Elementary and Middle Schools in the Tahoe Area. These shows are put on by the Envirolution Club at Truckee High School in partnership with the Sierra Watershed Education Partnership. The District must provide School Education as part of our Urban Water Management Plan and we have teamed up to bring this very effective program to our Lakeside schools.

• Highlights from the Trashion Show at Tahoe Truckee Earth Day 2015
• Video by Envirolution students about their trip to Washington DC
• Trashion Show video
• Educational Flyer (English)
• Educational Flyer (Spanish)
• Envirolution Club