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Water saving kits help to save water, reduce wastewater flows, and save money. Each kit includes a low-flow showerhead, kitchen and bathroom faucet aerators, toilet leak detection tablets, and installation instructions. Citywide water savings from installed water saving kits amounts to about 5.3 million gallons annually. 

The kits are free and available to City of Olympia sewer customers. Each component is available separately as well. E-mail us (be sure to include your name, address, zip code, and daytime phone number) or call Olympia’s Cityline at (360) 753-4444, extension 8390, to request your water saving kit today!

Kitchen Water Saving Tips: There are several ways you can save water in the kitchen.  Here are some top water saving tips:

• Check faucets, pipes, fittings, and washers for leaks; fix them when you find them.
• Install a faucet aerator in your kitchen. Faucet aerators are available free for City of Olympia sewer customers. To request a water saving kit that includes a kitchen faucet aerator, e-mail us (be sure to include your name, address, and phone number) or call (360) 753-4444, ext. 8390.
• Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator so you don’t have to run the tap for cold water.
• Don’t install or use an in-sink garbage disposal; instead try composting organic wastes like vegetables and coffee grounds.
• Clean your vegetables in a pan rather than under a faucet.  Use the water left over to water your plants. 

Laundry Water Saving Tips: There are several ways you can save water when you do laundry.  Here are some top water saving tips:

• Run your clothes washer only when it’s full, or use the proper water level or load size selection on your clothes washer.
• Check faucets, pipes, hoses, washers, and fittings for leaks; fix them when you find them.
• If you have a sink in your laundry room, install a faucet aerator. Faucet aerators are free for City of Olympia sewer customers. To request a water saving kit that includes a faucet aerator, e-mail us (be sure to include your name, address, and phone number) or call (360) 753-4444, ext. 8390.
• Buy a resource-efficient washing machine and save water, energy, and money! The City of Olympia, funded by the LOTT Alliance, offers a $100 mail-in rebate to City sewer customers who purchase a qualifying machine.  The rebate is also available through the Cities of Lacey and Tumwater. Here’s what to do to get your $100 rebate:
  • Purchase a qualifying resource-efficient washing machine that best meets your needs. Contact Karen Barr at the LOTT Alliance, (360) 528-5707, or visit their website to find out which machines qualify.  
  • Fill in the rebate form provided by your retailer or download our printer friendly rebate form.
  • Mail the white copy of the rebate form with a copy of your sales receipt to: LOTT Wastewater Alliance, 111 Market Street NE, Suite 250, Olympia, WA 98501 

Bathroom Water Saving Tips: Did you know that close to 50% of the water used in a home originates from the bathroom?  Here are some water saving tips:

• Turn off the faucet while you are shaving or brushing your teeth, and save several gallons per minute.  Rinse your razor in a glass of water.
• Take shorter showers. Turn off the water when you’re shampooing and lathering up, and turn it back on to rinse. Shortening your showers by two minutes can save up to 150 gallons per month.
• Install a low-flow showerhead. They are inexpensive and easy to install, and may save a family of four up to 3,000 gallons per month. Low-flow showerheads are available free to City of Olympia sewer customers. To request a low-flow showerhead, e-mail us  (be sure to include your name, address, and phone number) or call (360) 753-4444, ext 8390.
• Flush the toilet only when necessary, or consider a water-saving toilet.  Every time you flush you use 1.6 or more gallons of water.
• Check your toilet for leaks.  Fixing a leaky toilet can save up to 1,000 gallons of water each month. Most toilet leaks are due to leaking flapper valves. Toilet leak detection dye tablets are available free to City of Olympia water or sewer customers. If you would like to receive free leak detection tablets, e-mail us or call (360) 753-8271 to request them. 

Ultra-low Flush Toilets:  Ultra-low flush toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf), while older, high-volume models use 3.5 to 7 gallons of water for each flush. Early “low-flow” toilets were unpopular because of poor performance reviews; however, the design and performance of ultra-low flush toilets has improved significantly in recent years, resulting in toilets that are much more reliable.

While the City is no longer offering ultra-low flush toilets, our Toilet Giveaway project is still saving water! Between 1997 and 2000, over 6,800 ultra-low flush toilets were distributed to Olympia sewer customers. The new toilets help to save about 50 million gallons of water each year.

Composting Toilets: Composting toilets don’t use water to flush wastes away and they don't require connection to a plumbing, septic, or sewer system. They use microorganisms that are naturally present in human waste as well as added organic materials or electricity to decompose waste into humus, a component of soil. The humus produced can then be used as a soil additive for lawns or gardens that don’t produce food.  For City of Olympia sewer customers, rebates of up to $350 are available toward the purchase of composting toilets approved by the State Department of Health. For more information, call (360) 753-8271.

Toilet Leaks and Repairs? Below is some information on how to fix a leaky toilet is listed below.  If these steps don't solve the problem, contact a plumber to repair or replace the toilet:

• Flapper Valve Leaks: A frequent problem that causes a toilet to leak is a worn flapper valve or a flapper valve that does not sit properly on the valve seat. If the flapper valve is worn, remove it and replace it with a new one. When replacing a flapper valve, take care to note how the chain is adjusted before removing it. Also, check the valve seat for scale or corrosion and clean it, if necessary. If cleaning does not work, you can purchase a new valve seat at most plumbing or hardware stores. A new valve seat will quickly pay for itself in water savings. See diagram below.  
• Overflow Tube Leaks: Ideally, the water level should be set so that it is about even with the fill line on the back of the toilet tank (approximately 1/2” below the overflow tube). Adjust the water level by turning the adjustment screw or by very gently bending the float arm down so that the water shuts off at a level below the overflow tube. See diagram below.  
• Flush Handle Problems: If the handle needs to be jiggled to keep the toilet from “running”, the flush lever bar and chain, or the handle itself may be sticking. Adjust the nut that secures the handle in the toilet tank. If that does not work, you may have to replace the handle. See diagram below.  

Toilet Diagram: 

Need More Information?  Contact the Public Works office.

Physical Address: 924 7th Ave. SE, Suite A 
Mailing Address:  PO Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507
Download printer-friendly (PDF) directions to our office
Hours:  Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Phone: (360) 753-8588
Email:  Public Works