WATERWISEWATERWISE

APUBLIC SERVICEOFUNITEDWATER TOMSRIVER

EverydayConservationGuide forBeing Green

LivingLiving

Dear Customer:

At UnitedWater we believe that making the planet sustainable is the

best job on Earth. It is a privilege to provide you with clean, safe drinking water

and an honor to protect our nation’s water supplies for generations to come.

As a customer, you also have an important role in preserving a precious

natural resource. By making water wise choices you can save water,

energy and money.

On the pages that follow,we offer suggestions for saving water inside

your home and for reducing the amount of water you use in your yard and

garden.We invite you to join us in our efforts to make the planet sustainable

by selecting the conservation methods that work best for your lifestyle.

Sincerely,

Rick Pfleiderer

Director of Operations

Call us formore information

or visit us atunitedwater.com.

CUSTOMERSERVICE CENTER

69 Devoe PlaceHackensack, NJ 07601

OFFICEHOURS:Monday – Friday,8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

PHONE: 877-565-1456

FAX: 201-487-9431

EMERGENCIES:732-349-0227

E-MAIL: customer.service@unitedwater.com

PAYMENTOPTIONS

There are several waysto pay your bill:� Bymail� By phone� Electronically� On line� In person

Look for theWaterSense label to choose quality, water-efficient products.The label means the product meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency’sspecifications for performance. UnitedWater is a partner in the EPAWaterSense programthat makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment.

For more information please visit the U.S. EPAwebsite at epa.gov/watersense.

United Water Toms River

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3Source: epa.gov/watersense

The averageAmerican uses about 100 gallons

of water every day. By installing more

efficient water fixtures and repairing leaks,

families can reduce indoor water use by

about 35 percent.

GET FLUSHWITH SAVINGS� Install aWaterSense

labeled toilet. It will use

20 percent less water

while offering equal or

superior performance.

� Check for toilet leaks

by adding food coloring

to the tank. If the toilet

is leaking, color will

appear in the bowl within

15minutes.

� Install aWaterSense

labeled aerator or faucet.

It will increase the

faucet’s efficiency by

30 percent without

sacrificing performance.

� Repair dripping faucets

and showerheads. One

drip per second can

waste more than 3,000

gallons per year.

CLEANUPYOURCOSTS� A full bathtub can require

up to 70 gallons of water,

while taking a 5-minute

shower uses only 10

to 25 gallons. Low flow

showerheads help save

evenmore.

� Turn off the tap while you

brush your teeth to save

8 gallons per day.

� Replace your old washing

machine with a high-

efficiency, ENERGY STAR®

labeledmodel. It will use

up to 50 percent less

water and electricity.

� Wash only full loads of

dishes and clothes or

lower the water settings

for smaller loads.

CHILL OUT!� Keep a pitcher of tap water in the

refrigerator instead of running

the faucet for cold water.

GREENINSIDELiving

AGALLONOF TAPWATERIS A SIGNIFICANTLYBETTERVALUETHANAGALLONOFBOTTLEDWATER.

ONEGALLONOFTAPWATER

ONEGALLON

OFBOTTLEDWATERVS.

WATERTip

Our yards are great places to relax and unwind. If you have a green thumb,

try planting a “xeriscape” or “conservation” garden. By following low-water landscaping

techniques, you can create a beautiful garden with lowwater andmaintenance

needs. Derived from the Greek word “xeros,”meaning dry, xeriscapes use native

plants that are drought tolerant and gardening techniques that minimize water use.

PLANNING&DESIGNTake time to plan your

garden. Consider soil and

light conditions, drainage,

maintenance level desired,

family interests and your

budget. Limit the use of

plants with high water needs.

Group plants with similar

water needs and place

plants that require the least

water the furthest from

your home.

SOILIMPROVEMENTSGood soil conditions help

reduce water needs. Before

you plant your garden be

sure to mix compost or peat

moss into the soil. This organic

matter will help the soil retain

water. If your yard is sloped,

you can use terraces and

retaining walls to reduce

water run-off.

PLANTSELECTIONAwide variety of lowwater

use trees, shrubs, flowers

and ground covers can

be used to grow a colorful

conservation garden.

Many require watering only

in the first or second year

after planting.

EFFICIENTIRRIGATIONIf additional water is needed,

install drip or trickle irrigation

systems.These are designed

to use water efficiently and

are available from local

garden centers.

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GREENOUTSIDELiving

GROUNDCOVERSCandytuft

Goldmoss Sedum

Lamb’s Ear

Periwinkle

Silver MoundArtemisia

Stonecrop

SHRUBS& TREESAdam’s Needle

Blue Carpet Juniper

Blue Maid Holly

Bluebeard

Golden Dust Plant

Golden Sword Yucca

Hollywood Juniper

Korean Spice Viburnum

Northern Bayberry

Winter King Hawthorn

PERENNIALSAutumn Joy Sedum

Black-eyed Susan

Coral Bells

Michaelmas Daisy

Montauk Daisy

Purple Coneflower

Tickseed

Woody Yarrow

Yarrow

PRACTICALLAWNSLimit the amount of area

you devote to a lawn and

select grass varieties like

fine fescues that require less

water andmaintenance. Plant

groundcovers in areas that

are difficult to mow.To reduce

water usage even further,

read about ET lawnwatering

on next page.

EFFECTIVEUSEOFMULCHMulch helps keep the soil

moist, smothers weeds

and prevents erosion. Use

mulches such as shredded

bark, shredded leaves, pine

needles or gravel in a layer

two inches deep.

MAINTENANCEIS ESSENTIALProperly timed pruning,

fertilization, pest control

and weeding will preserve

your landscape’s beauty.

Please be sure to use

pesticides and fertilizers

according to directions.

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SAMPLEPLANTS FORNEWJERSEY

� Water your lawnor garden duringthe cool morninghours to reduceevaporation. Don’twater on windy days.

� Look for sprinklersthat produce droplets,not mist.You canalso use soaker hosesor trickle irrigation.Make sure there areno leaks in your hoseor sprinklers.

� Set sprinklers towater lawns andgardens only, notthe pavement.

� Be sure your hosehas a shut-off nozzle.A hose without anozzle can spout10 gallons or moreaminute.

� Don’t over fertilizebecause that increasesthe need for water.

� Raise your lawnmower blade to atleast 3 inches. Tallergrass holds soil mois-ture better than aclosely cropped lawn.

� If you have a pool,use a cover toslow evaporation.It will keep yourpool cleaner andreduce the needto add chemicals.

� Whenwashingthe car, apply soapandwater from abucket, then usea hose with a shut-off nozzle for aquick final rinse.

� Use a broom or leafblower, not a hose,to clean your sidewalkor driveway.

WATERWISELY

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6

We all love a green lawn. But did you know that your lawnmay

account for nearly 50 percent of your summer water usage? Now you

can keep it green while saving water andmoney. Our ET program –

short for EvapoTranspiration – takes the guess work out of lawnwatering.

0.00” 00.25” 150.50” 300.75” 451.00” 601.25” 751.50” 901.75” 1052.00” 120

ETNUMBER

MINUTES

OFWATERING

We partner

with experts

from the South

Jersey Resource

Conservation and

Development Council who

help determine when your

lawn needs watering. They

measure water loss from

soil through evaporation

andmoisture loss from plants

through transpiration. Using

this information, they calculate

a daily “ET” number. That’s

the optimal amount of water

the average lawn truly needs

based on the day’s weather

conditions.All you have to do

is check the daily ET number

to find out exactly howmuch

water that your lawn needs.

By following the ET program,

your lawn can stay green and

healthy.And, you can reduce

your summer water usage

by up to 25 percent and

lower your water bill

by up to $200.

FIND TODAY’S ETNUMBEROnce you have the ET number, use the

chart to determine how long to

water your lawn. The ET number indicates

the number of inches of water your lawn

needs. The average sprinkler delivers about

one inch of water per hour.With ET you

typically need to water your lawn every

four days. The best time to water is before

9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.

BYPHONE

ET Hotline

732-349-0227

ext. 3034 after 8 a.m.

ONTHEWEB

unitedwater.com/ET

GREATGREENLAWN

Lots less water

So stop pouring water – andmoney – down the drain. Our conservation program

can help reduce your water use by up to 25 percent. It will also help you savemoney

on your water and energy bills. Themore you conserve, themore you save!

UnitedWater has partnered with Niagara Conservation to offer you high quality

conservation products at significant savings.We’re pleased to offer our customers

special pricing on three water-saving kits. The price includes shipping, handling

and taxes,where applicable.

TOPURCHASEAWATER-SAVINGKIT

ONTHEWEBwaterconservationproducts.com

BYMAILComplete and returnthe coupon below.

OUTDOORLANDSCAPEKIT

$700(Retail value $40.00)

STANDARDWATER-SAVINGKIT

$500(Retail value $30.00)

DELUXEWATER-SAVINGKIT

$1500(Retail value $65.00)

Check the box or boxes belowand enter the number of kitsyou would like to order.

Standard Kit: $5.00Quantity: ______

Outdoor Landscape Kit: $7.00Quantity: ______

Deluxe Kit: $15.00Quantity: ______

Name

Address

City State Zip

MAIL TO:UnitedWater

Communications Dept.

200 Old Hook Road

Harrington Park, NJ 07640

Pleasemake check payable to:NIAGARACONSERVATION

ORDER

YOUR

CONSER

VATION

KITNOW

!

MAKESDOLLARSANDSENSE

WATERWISELiving

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UNITEDWATERunitedwater.com

VISIT OURDEMONSTRATIONGARDEN15Adafre AvenueToms River, NJ

L.J.H. LANDSCAPING/LAWNCAREToms River, NJ732-237-0860

RUTGERSCOOPERATIVEEXTENSIONnjaes.rutgers.edu

UnitedWater’s eBilling program is an easy and

secure way to pay your water bill while helpingthe environment. By opting to have your water billsent directly into your email inbox, you can helpus protect and conserve our natural resources.

HERE’S HOWeBILLINGHELPS THE ENVIRONMENTIn just one year our paperless

eBilling program saved:

� 9,000 pounds of paper

� 7 tons of trees

� Over 66,000 gallons of water

� Reduced greenhouse gasesby 20,000 pounds

TO ENROLL IN eBILLINGand protect the environment,call us at 877-565-1456or visit unitedwater.com.

FORMOREINFORMATIONON

WATERWISELiving

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