Today’s modern household uses water for wide range of purposes. Everything from cleaning dishes and taking showers to doing loads of laundry and washing the car can add up to several gallons or even hundreds of gallons of water used every month. Conserving the amount of water used at home will not only help to keep your water bill lower, but it’s also better for the environment. When you save water, you can help to reduce pollutant and contaminant runoff into Lake Michigan, and Root Rivers, as well as extend the life of your sewer or septic system. If you’re considering a water conservation plan for your house, there are many easy ways you can reduce your water consumption. Once you make these practices a habit, you’ll be surprised at just how much water you can save! 

Why Water Conservation is Important

The Racine Water Utility (RWU) treats Lake Michigan water to create safe and clean drinking water for the City of Racine and surrounding communities. Lake Michigan, which is part of the Great Lakes, makes up a unique and abundant source of freshwater found nowhere else on Earth. The Great Lakes hold 20% of the world’s fresh surface water and more than 90% of North America’s fresh surface water. Conserving and sustainably using this water source is a critical obligation for RWU, not only for our users, but for the millions of other people that rely on the Great Lakes as a source of drinking water. Racine was built on the shores of Lake Michigan for the resources it provides, its right to preserve our natural assets which helped make Racine what it is today.

Please join us and learn more about how you can help attain our conservation goals and protect Lake Michigan.

Historical Water Use Perspective

Water use in Racine has steadily dropped over the years as a result of a number of factors. RWU average finished water daily pumpage has decreased significantly from 24.1 MGD in 1999 to 16.9 MGD in 2016. Factors that have led to this decline are: more efficient water fixtures and appliances, loss of residential, commercial and industrial development, and consumers being more aware of their water use habits.