News

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Oct. 8, 2025 — The Regional Water Authority (RWA) is reminding customers to be conscious of their water usage following unusually dry conditions and the governor’s recently declared Stage 2 Drought Advisory.

Water supplies in the RWA’s reservoirs remain at normal seasonal levels, and the company does not foresee an immediate need for more stringent conservation measures. As of Sept. 30, the RWA’s reservoirs were at 68% of capacity, which is in line with the historical average. However, continued dry weather could tax supplies and the water system.

“We are asking customers to be mindful about how they use water and avoid unnecessary water usage,” said RWA Interim CEO Sunder “Sunny” Lakshminarayanan. “Using water wisely will help to ensure available supply for public health and fire protection.”

Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday issued a Stage 2 Drought Advisory for New Haven, Fairfield and Middlesex counties due to abnormally low precipitation levels this summer and fall.

By following the conservation tips listed below, customers can help extend available water supplies and aid in minimizing future drought impacts.

• Check for dripping faucets or running toilets and fix them. A faucet that leaks at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 2,000 gallons of water a year. A running toilet can waste about 200 gallons a day – up to 6,000 gallons a month!
• Take showers instead of baths. A bath typically uses up to 50 gallons of water, whereas a 5-minute shower can use as little as 10 to 25 gallons.
• When practical, scrape used dishes clean and put them in the dishwasher instead of washing them by hand. A running faucet can use up to 2 gallons a minute, while a dishwasher can consume as little as 4 gallons per cycle.
• Avoid leaving the faucet running while you’re brushing your teeth or washing your hands.
• Wait until you have a full load before you wash your clothes.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean patios, sidewalks and driveways. Water flows from a hose at a rate of about 6 gallons a minute.
• Wash your car at a car wash. Washing your at home can use between 40 and 140 gallons of water. Washing at a car wash where water is reclaimed typically consumes as little as about 7 gallons of fresh water for each wash.
• Collect non-potable or rainwater to water plants or garden. Every spring, the RWA sells rain barrels that collect rainwater for your lawn or garden. You can use a household bucket to collect used bathwater and use it to water non-edible plants.

The RWA has additional water-saving tips on the Water Wise Ways page of its website, as well as its Facebook, Instagram and X social media channels.