By now, most Northern California residents know the state is in a severe drought, having received the least amount of precipitation over the past two years than any time since 1976-77.

As reservoir levels drop, cities, water districts and private water companies are increasingly putting in place rules limiting water use. Some are already setting monthly water allotments, with surcharges for homes and businesses that use more than the limit.

If this upcoming winter is dry again, fines, surcharges and other limits will be common across Northern California next year to preserve dangerously low supplies.

The easiest way to cut water use in urban areas, experts say, is to reduce landscape watering, which accounts for 50% of residential water use in California. After doing that, check for leaks, take shorter showers and don’t leave the faucet running when you’re washing dishes, shaving or brushing teeth.

Most of the Bay Area’s largest water providers give away free water saving devices to any customer who lives in their service area. They include:

– Low-flow shower heads
– Faucet aerators, or screens, that reduce water flow from faucets
– Shower timers, to put inside showers
– Toilet flappers, because old ones sometimes leak
– Irrigation screwdrivers, to adjust sprinkler heads more easily
– Blue dye tablets, to help find toilet leaks
– Garden hose shutoff nozzles
– Door hangers and signs for restaurants and hotels encouraging water conservation

Not all water providers give free devices, and those that do only provide them to residents of their service areas. To find out if your city gives away these items or others for free, contact your city water department. If you live in areas served by the largest water districts in the Bay Area, check their websites here, which detail what they give away and how to get it:

1) Santa Clara Valley Water District – provides water to 2 million people in Santa Clara County
https://cloud.valleywater.org/ords/r/appweb/shopping-cart/store

2) Contra Costa Water District – provides water to 550,000 people in central and eastern Contra Costa County
https://www.ccwater.com/339/Water-Conservation-Devices

3) East Bay Municipal Utility District – provides water to 1.4 million people in northern Alameda and western Contra Costa counties.
https://www.ebmud.com/water/conservation-and-rebates/rebates/free-conservation-items/

4) Alameda County Water District – provides water to 350,000 people in Fremont, Newark and Union City
https://www.acwd.org/FormCenter/Water-Conservation-11/Water-Conservation-Kit-Order-Form-63

5)  San Francisco Public Utilities Commission – provides water from the Hetch Hetchy system to 2.7 million residents in San Francisco, and parts of San Mateo, Santa Clara and Alameda counties. Water-saving devices below are for San Francisco residents.

https://www.sfpuc.org/learning/conserve-water/free-evaluations-and-devices/water-saving-devices

6) Peninsula – Residents of the 26 other communities in that receive Hetch Hetchy water should contact their local water provider, such as the city water department or private water company that sends them bills, or check the website of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency to see which of those providers offers free water-efficient gear.

https://bawsca.org/conserve