Water quality information
The 2025 Consumer Confidence Report presents MWS’ water quality information for Jan thru Dec 2025 as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Average annual MWS household water usage
JUL/AUG · ~ 3.5× WINTER BASELINE · driven almost entirely by outdoor watering
JFMAMJJASONDWater Conservation
Saving water Indoors
Reuse water
Instead of letting water go down the drain when you are washing vegetables, collect it and use it for watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.
Check for leaking pipes
Verify that your home’s pipes are water leak-free. To do this read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read the same, there is a leak.
Repair dripping faucets
Faucets that drip at the rate of one drop per second will waste 2,700 gallons per year. This adds to your water bill, wastes water and can strain your septic system.
Check toilet handles
Check for sticking toilet flush handle that is letting water run constantly, replace or adjust as needed.
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Check for leaking toilets
Add food coloring to your toilet tank. If the toilet valve is leaking, color will appear in the bowl within 30 minutes. Flush when done since food coloring may stain.
Do not flush unnecessarily
Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than down the toilet.
Adjust Flow Before Increasing Water Volume
When adjusting water temperatures, try turning water flow down. If the water is too hot or cold, turn the offender down rather than increasing water flow to balance the temperatures.
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Limit shower time
Replace your shower heads with ultra-low-flow versions, and limit shower time.
Tub stopper before turning on bath water
Do you use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first and filling the tub only 1/3 full? The initial burst of cold water can be warmed by adding hot water later.
Use water while waiting for it to warm
Do you let water run while shaving or washing your face? Brush your teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling the basin.
Have aerators installed
Check that all household faucets have aerators installed.
Wash full loads
Use dish and clothes washers only when they are full.
Fill sink when washing by hand
Fill one sink or basin with soapy water and quickly rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.
Store water in fridge
Store drinking water in fridge rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.
Defrost food overnight
Defrost food overnight rather than using running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods.
Limit use of kitchen sink disposal
Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Use yard waste for food scraps or start a compost pile if you have a proper space on your property.
Install water heater for kitchen sink
This appliance will not only save water, but also energy since it heats up only the water that is needed and not the hot water lines in your house.
Insulate hot water pipes
You’ll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.
Saving water Outdoors
Properly water lawn
As a general rule, lawns only need watering every five to seven days in the summer. A hearty rain eliminates the need for watering for as long as two weeks.
Use water-efficient sprinklers
Check that your installed sprinklers are the most water-efficient for their specific use. Micro and drip irrigation and soaker hoses are examples of water-efficient methods of irrigation.
Use mower blade at 3” or more
A lawn cut higher encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds soil moisture better than a closely-clipped lawn.
Check timing on devices
Ensure sprinkler systems and timing devices are operating properly and not overwatering.
Water in early morning
Water in the early morning. This reduces losses from evaporation and lowers the burden on the water system when domestic usage is high (6 - 9AM).
Avoid watering sidewalks
Position sprinklers to avoid watering your street, driveway, or sidewalk.
Use a timer when watering
Check for unattended sprinklers or hoses. Your garden hoses can pour out 600 gallons or more in only a few hours, so don’t leave the sprinkler running all day.
Use mulch to retain moisture
Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil and controls weeds that compete with plants for water.
Sweep instead of hosing
Sweep instead of hosing down driveway. Using a hose to clean a driveway can waste hundreds of gallons of water.
Use native or drought-tolerant plants
Use native and/or drought-tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees.
Once established, they do not need to be watered as frequently and they usually will survive a dry period without any watering.
Check irrigation equipment and hoses for leaks
Check hoses, connectors and spigots regularly and use hose washers between spigots and water hoses to eliminate leaks.
Use shut-off nozzles on hoses and turn off when finished
Check that your garden hoses have shut-off nozzles installed that can be adjusted down to fine spray so that water flows only as needed. When finished, “Turn it Off” at the faucet instead of at the nozzle to avoid leaks.
Limit use of fertilizers
Limit use of fertilizers.
The application of fertilizers increases the need for water. Apply fertilizers which contain slow-release, water-insoluble forms of nitrogen.
Saving water with proper lawn practices
Mow higher, mow often and leave the clippings.
Set mowing heights at 3 inches for most lawns. Mow when the grass gets 50% taller than the desired height. Mow regularly, even on summer-dormant lawns, to keep weeds from setting seed.
Leave the clippings on the lawn: “Grasscycling” provides free fertilizer, helps lawns grow greener and denser, and doesn’t cause thatch buildup. (Thatch is last year’s woody roots and stems, not clippings.) Mow when the grass is dry and keep mower blades sharp for best results.
When it’s time to buy a new mower, consider a “mulching” mower. They chop clippings finely and blow them down into the lawn so they disappear.
Fertilize lightly in the fall with a “natural-organic” or “slow-release” fertilizer.
Natural fertilizers release nutrients slowly through the year, won’t leach away, and support the variety of soil organisms that improve fertility and combat diseases. Healthy lawns are a lighter “meadow” green color. Deep blue-green lawns are over-fertilized and unhealthy: more prone to disease and thatch buildup and drought damage. Fertilize lightly!
Fertilize in the fall to build the grass plant’s nutrient reserves. Never fertilize in early spring because that makes grass grow too fast and robs its reserves. Late spring and early fall are O.K. to fertilize too, but late fall is the single best time.
Remember, grasscycling returns valuable nutrients to the soil every time you mow! Add lime in the fall or spring, if a soil test shows a calcium deficiency or acid soil.
Water deeply, to moisten the root zone, but infrequently.
Grasses do best when the whole root zone is wetted, and then dries out between waterings. Avoid frequent shallow watering that causes poor root development. Over-watering also promotes lawn disease.
Aerate (or dethatch) if water won’t penetrate the surface because of soil compaction, steep slopes, or thatch buildup.
Water about one inch per week in mid-summer. Water slowly, or start and stop, so the water penetrates rather than puddling and running off. Don’t water in the heat of the day, that promotes disease and wastes water.
Consider letting the lawn go brown and dormant in the summer. Watering deeply (but slowly, so it penetrates) once each rainless month will help dormant lawns to recover better in the fall. Avoid heavy traffic that can damage dormant lawns, or water just the play/high-use areas to prevent damage.
Improve old lawns with aeration, over-seeding, and top dressing with compost.
Aerate in spring or fall. Use a rented power-aerator for best results. Or insert a garden fork 6″ deep every four inches and lever back to loosen the soil.
Over-seed, after raking or aerating to expose soil, with a rye/fescue mix designed for Pacific Northwest conditions talk to a knowledgeable nursery-person or call WSU Cooperative Extension (WSU Extension | Washington State University) for seed recommendations.
Top dress with fine compost (screened to 3/8”) one-quarter inch deep, raked out so the grass stands up through it. May or mid-September are the best times for aerating, over-seeding, and top dressing.
De-thatch in early spring if thatch accumulations over 1/2” thick, or decompose thatch slowly by aerating and top dressing. Over-seed after de-thatching, to keep weeds out. Reduce fertilizer levels and over-watering, and aerate if needed, to avoid future thatch buildup.
Avoid using pesticides, quick-release fertilizers, and “weed-and-feed”.
These products can damage soil and lawn health, and pollute our waterways. Pesticides and “weed-and-feed” may also harm people, pets, and wildlife. Accept a few “weeds,” particularly clover that improves the soil. Target the ugly weeds, leave the others.
Remove weeds by hand in spring and fall (pincer-type weed pullers work great in moist soil), or spot-spray problem weeds (read and follow herbicide label warnings).
Crowd out weeds by growing a dense lawn. Mow higher, leave the clippings, fertilize properly, and improve thin areas with aeration, overseeding and top dressing.
Consider alternatives to grass for steep slopes or shady areas.
Grass grows best in well-drained soil on level or gently sloping areas, in full sun.
Call WSU Cooperative Extension (WSU Extension | Washington State University) for information on alternative plants that do well on shady, steep or wet sites.
