Understand the Color of Water

Air in your pipes will turn water white or cloudy. If water is brown or yellow when it comes out of the tap, your pipes are probably rusty.

Don't Breed Bad Water

The most dangerous contaminants in water are invisible. If you use a water pitcher with a charcoal filter that removes chlorine, a disinfectant used by Marin Municipal Water District, from tap water, make sure you replace the filter frequently. Bacteria can grow on a dirty filter and contaminate your now disinfectant-free water.

Lead Prevention

Precautionary measure: Lead solder may or may not be a part of your kitchen pipes, but play it safe by using cold water to cook your food in, not hot water from the faucet. Hot water dissolves lead in the pipes more quickly than cold water does.

Little Leaks Add Up

Fixing leaks in the home may save gallons. A small drip leaking at one drip per second can waste up to 1,661 gallons of water a year.

The most common household leak: a running toilet. Leaking toilets don't always make noise. Best test: drop food coloring into the tank. If it ends up in the bowl, you've got a silent leak.

More Information

Visit Marin Municipal Water District at www.marinwater.org for more information on saving water and saving money.