The Flume Smart Home Water Monitor helps homeowners monitor and reduce their water use and be notified of leaks immediately. Receive a $100 credit on your water bill with the purchase and installation of a Flume Smart Home Water Monitor. 

Cobb County Water System (CCWS) is offering a $100 bill credit for the purchase and installation of the Flume Smart Home Water Monitor System. This system retails for $249 plus shipping. When purchased through Flume’s CCWS customer landing page at flumewater.com/cobbcounty, CCWS customers pay $199 plus shipping. After installation, you will receive an email from Flume with a link to the short CCWS online application for your $100 bill credit, making your out-of-pocket cost $99. Flume is compatible with most CCWS residential meters. If your meter was recently replaced and is a square meter, the Flume is not compatible. 

Here are the benefits of having a Flume for your home:

• Catch Water Leaks. Receive alerts on abnormal or accidental water usage. 
• Protect Your Home. Gain peace of mind at home and when you are away. 
• Track Your Water Consumption. See how and when you use water.
• Saving Money & Water. Establish a water use budget and create personalized alerts.  

If your home was built before 1993, you may still have older, high-water-using fixtures. CCWS offers customers free fixtures to help them lower their bills and save water. The indoor kit includes a WaterSense-labeled showerhead, water-efficient kitchen and bathroom sink aerators, leak detector tablets, and 5-minute shower timers. The outdoor kit includes a rain gauge and a handheld hose nozzle. Water-saving kits must be picked up in person. Submit this online form to schedule a pick-up.

One of the biggest water users in the home is the toilet; up to 30% of the water used indoors may be flushed down the drain every day. CCWS residential customers can receive a $100 water bill credit for the purchase and installation of 1.1 gallons per flush (gpf) or less WaterSense labeled ultra-high efficiency toilets. The rebate is limited to no more than 3 toilets per property. Click to download and complete the rebate form.

Your plumbing system consists of all the pipes and fixtures on your property after the water meter connection. Maintaining your plumbing system is the first step to preventing water waste, and regular inspection can save you water and money. Learn how to hunt down leaks throughout your home. Click to download an audit form.

Annual Irrigation System

Check Before running your system for the first time each spring, always perform a system check. Inspect the irrigation system for broken sprinkler heads, leaning sprinklers, overspray onto the pavement, rotors not rotating, spray heads misting, and uneven coverage. 

1. Examine the rain shut-off sensor and valve box. Make sure they are free of dirt and debris and the rain sensor is working properly.
2. Inspect and clean filters. Filters are usually located near where the water exits the house. To clean out sediment, open the flush valve at the bottom of the filter and turn on the water for 1 minute. To clean the sediment screen, turn the water off, remove the filter body, and spray with a hose.
3. Flush your system. Turn the system off and remove the last sprinkler head in each line. Turn the system on for a few minutes until the water runs clear. Replace the sprinkler heads, running one valve at a time to check for proper operation.
4. Examine your timer and the battery. Make sure your system runs for the scheduled amount of time. Set the timer to comply with local watering requirements. Georgia law allows for residential outdoor watering before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. If the Georgia Environmental Protection Division declares a drought response, watering restrictions may apply. 

Uniform Coverage

The goal of an efficient irrigation system is to provide head-to-head coverage, defined as water from each sprinkler reaching the sprinklers adjacent to it. This overlapping coverage provides even water distribution and avoids dry spots and overwatering.

1. Adjust sprinklers so that they are watering their intended target, not the house, paved surfaces, sidewalk, or street. In Cobb County, this action violates the Water Waste Ordinance.
2. Make sure your sprinkler heads, when extended, rise above the height of the grass for uniform coverage. Use taller heads in flower and shrub beds. Check that sprinkler heads are not tilted or broken.
3. Make sure all sprinkler heads in a zone spray evenly. Place containers evenly throughout one zone of your irrigation system. Turn that zone on for 15 minutes. Measure and add together the amount of water in all cans, divide by the number of cans, and multiply by four. This is how many inches your irrigation system puts out per hour. The approximate precipitation rate for a spray head is 2” per hour and a rotor uses approximately ½” per hour. If you notice extensive uneven sprinkler head sprays within a zone, this can be a result of pressure problems. You need to have a licensed or certified landscape professional check the system for water pressure and uniformity problems. 

Routine Maintenance

Check your system at least once a month. Observing the signs of irrigation system issues is the key to water savings. Many problems can be discovered simply by taking a quick look at your landscape and at the system when it is running.

1. Look for signs of under-watering or over-watering such as brown spots in your lawn, or areas that are greener or consistently wet and soggy. Check for uniformity or a cracked underground pipe in the irrigation system.
2. Check for blocked spray streams and check the position of the sprinklers. Adjust sprinkler heads that are tilted, blocked by grass and plants, or buried. 
3. Cap sprinkler heads that are no longer needed to avoid system leakage and wasted water.
4. Inspect valves, sprinkler heads, nozzles, and emitters for obvious problems such as clogged or misaligned heads, bubbling, and misting. Replace if they are broken or cracked.
5. In above ground systems such as drip irrigation, look for pinched or broken tubing. Straighten or replace tubing if needed.

Right Time - Right Soil

In Cobb County most of our soil is clay and clay loam mix, creating a slower absorption of water into the ground. A typical irrigation schedule can result in excessive water run-off and wasted water and money. Typically, short cycles of six to ten minutes are all the water your yard can absorb at one time. More frequent short cycles are the best way to get water to the roots of your plants and reduce run-off. Water each zone for 7 minutes, rotating through all zones. Once all zones are complete, the cycle can be repeated, and each zone should have had time to absorb the water. An irrigation timer can be set to accommodate shorter, more frequent cycles. If you have fewer zones, set multiple run times with at least a 20-minute absorption time to allow the water to soak in. Remember, all watering should be scheduled before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m.

Related Resources

• Irrigation with a Pro-U.S. EPA WaterSense Program: https://www.epa.gov/watersense/irrigation-pro 
• Irrigation for Lawns and Gardens - Georgia Cooperative Extension Service  https://tinyurl.com/y4qdwjqo

We use about 100 gallons of water a day. Little changes make a difference. Encourage every member of your family to save 10 gallons everyday.

• Turn the water off when brushing your teeth. – 4 Gallons
• Don’t rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, scrape instead. – 6 Gallons
• Don’t use the toilet as a trash can. – 3 Gallons
• Do only full loads of laundry. Cut back by one load a week. – 5 Gallons a day
• Keep a pitcher of cold water in the fridge for cold water to drink – 6 Gallons
• Catch shower water as it heats up to use on plants – 10 Gallons
• Limit to one full load of dishes a day. – 2 Gallons a day
• Take a shorter shower; cut your time by 2 minutes. – 10 Gallons
• Use a basin or plug the sink for rinsing when doing dishes by hand. – 12 Gallons
• Replace high flow showerheads. – 3 Gallons a minute
• Replace high flow sink aerators. – 1.5 Gallons a minute
• Use the load setting on your clothes washer to smaller load. – 2 Gallons a day
• Pour out pet’s water on plants, not down the drain. – 1 Gallon
• Fill bathtub only half way. – 15 Gallons
• Fix dripping faucets. – 3 Gallons
• Turn water off when shaving, washing your face, and brushing teeth. – 4 Gallons
• Make a compost pile instead of using the garbage disposal. – 4 Gallons
• Catch rinse water from washing veggies or draining pasta use it on your plants. – 2 Gallon

Leaks from pipes, plumbing fixtures, and fittings are a significant source of water waste for many households. Some leaks are obvious, such as dripping faucets and leaking water heaters. Unfortunately, many leaks go undetected for years because the source of the leak is not visible. Learn the most common areas for leaks and how to locate sneaky leaks. Learn more...

Have you recently replaced your older model toilet with a more efficient model? Cobb County Water System encourages homeowners to recycle their old toilets after replacement. Patterson Services Inc. in Mableton recycles old toilets. However, they will only recycle the porcelain components. You must remove all plastic and metal pieces before recycling. Please call Patterson Services Inc., 404-505-1449, for specific pricing and fees. You may also be able to donate your in-good-condition toilet to a Habitat ReStore in your area. Call 770-415-1625 for information at the Cobb County Store. If you choose not to recycle or donate, you will need to discuss proper disposal with your waste hauler. 

Rain barrels capture water from a roof and hold it for later use, such as on lawns, gardens, or indoor plants. Collecting roof runoff in rain barrels reduces the amount of water that flows from your property. It's a great way to conserve water, and it's free water for use in your landscape. Register for one of our summer rain barrel Make & Take Workshops or make a rain barrel of your own with instructions in this Home Owner’s Guide to Rain Barrels.