Water conservation is an important tool for reducing water demand, and limiting water use should be an everyday practice for people and businesses in our area. Water efficiency measures can lead to significant reductions in water and sewer costs. Does your water bill look higher than normal? Track your usage and sign up for alerts with our Water Utility Dashboard.

Water Conservation Tips for Residents

For Every Room in the House With Plumbing

• Repair leaky faucets, indoors and out.
• Consider replacing old equipment (like toilets, dishwashers and laundry machines).

In the Kitchen

• When cooking, peel and clean vegetables in a large bowl of water instead of under running water.
• Fill your sink or basin when washing and rinsing dishes.
• Only run the dishwasher when it's full.
• When buying a dishwasher, select one with a "light-wash" option.
• Only use the garbage disposal when necessary (composting is a great alternative).
• Install faucet aerators.

In the Bathroom

• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Turn off the water to brush teeth, shave and soap up in the shower. Fill the sink to shave.
• Repair leaky toilets. Add 12 drops of food coloring into the tank, and if color appears in the bowl one hour later, your toilet is leaking.
• Install a toilet dam, faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads.

Laundry

• Run full loads of laundry.
• When purchasing a new washing machine, buy a water saving model that can be adjusted to the load size.

Track Your Water Usage

• Des Plaines has a water utility website portal that provides virtually everything you need to detect and correct water usage issues. Through this interactive website, you can track your water usage through easy-to-read charts and graphs, receive tips on water conservation and more! If you have a Sensus water meter, just visit desplaines.org/mywater to set up your account.

Watering Restrictions

From May 15 - Sept. 15, please adhere to the City's guidelines for watering in order to conserve our water supply. Watering hours are between 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Even-numbered addresses may water on even-numbered calendar days.

Odd numbered-addresses may water on odd-numbered calendar days.

Please Note: Restrictions may be waived for new plantings that require more watering after initial installation (such as sod, trees and bushes). Please contact the Public Works Department at 847-391-5464 for more information.