• Residential Rebate Application
• Consumer Confidence Report (Water Quality Report)
• Cross Connection & Backflow Prevention Program Policy
• Cross Connection & Backflow Prevention Program Specifications
• Water Conservation & Water Emergency Restrictions Program Policy

Residential Rebate Application Form.

Home (Small Commercial) Water Conservation Kits.

• Owatonna Public Utilities customers can receive the Kit at no charge.
  • e-mail your name & address and we'll mail you one.
    • Rain/watering Gauge
    • Leak Detecting Tablets
    • Bowl Filler Regulator Clamps
    • 17 page Audit booklet

Steele County Environmental Services.

• Establish wellhead setbacks, sealing abandoned wells.
• Reuse, Recycle or dispose of wastes.
• Maintaining septic systems.

Water Conservation Tips:

• Turn water off when not in use
• Take short showers instead of baths
• Turn water off when brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc.
• Install water efficient faucet aerators and shower heads
• Water the yard only when necessary and early in the morning to reduce evaporation
• Check for plumbing leaks

A dripping faucet or fixture can waste 3 gallons a day....a total of 1095 gallons a year.

Conserve Water and Save Money!

A continuous leak from a hole this size would, in one month, waste water in the amounts shown.

Water Saving Ideas

In the Bathroom:

• Use a displacement device (a water-filled plastic bottle or bag) in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water required to flush.
• Use the toilet only for its intended purpose, not for the disposal of tissues or trash.
• Be alert for leaky toilets or faucets and repair immediately. A slow drip wastes 15 to 20 gallons of water a day. A leaky toilet wastes hundreds of gallons a day.
• When installing a new toilet, consider a small-capacity model. They're usually less expensive and cut down significantly on the amount of water use.
• Flush the toilet less often. In most cases, several uses can be made of the toilet for liquid wastes before flushing.
• Take shorter showers. Get wet, turn off the water lather up, then turn on the water to rinse. Showers require less water than tub baths. Every inch in the tub equals approximately five gallons.
• Up to five gallons a minute goes straight down the drain when taps are left running to shave or brush teeth. Turn on the taps only when needed.

In The Kitchen:

• When washing dishes by hand, fill a basin or use a stopper in the sink for rinsing rather than running the faucet.
• Automatic dishwashers use 12 to 25 gallons for each full cycle, so avoid using the "rinse only" cycle and washing small loads.
• Avoid running the faucet for a glass of water. Put a bottle or pitcher of water in the refrigerator.
• Since washing machines require 40 gallons or more, save water by washing only full loads.

Outdoors:

• Use buckets and tubs to wash your car of the dog, rather than a continuously running hose.
• Water lawns and gardens only when needed and only during the early morning or evening when evaporation is lower.
• A garden hose will dispense up to 600 gallons in two hours. A nozzle will act as a flow restrictor and reduce water use significantly.
• Cutting grass at a two to three inch height instead of cropping it closely will reduce the amount of water needed.
• Sweep sidewalks and driveways instead of washing them down with a hose.
• Re-use as much water as possible.
• If lawn watering is scheduled, let youngsters play in the hose spray or sprinkler in a grassy area instead of filling a wading pool.

Water Use Habits:

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