[VWC] – Valencia Water Company customers who want the latest valuable tips on how to  conserve water inside and outside their homes can attend a free class and receive a $30 credit on their water bill.

Several classes are scheduled now through October. The next classes are Saturday, July 14, beginning at 10 a.m. and Wednesday, July 18, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Valencia Town Center, 24201 W. Valencia Blvd. Each workshop is limited to 60 people on a first-come, first-serve basis. No registration is required, but Valencia Water Company customers are required to bring their water bill for verification.

“Saving water is easy if you know the right tips and have the right tools,” said Matt Dickens, Valencia Water’s resource conservation manager. “Most people believe they are doing all they can to save water. However, classes like these provide a wealth of new information that shows what else you can do without sacrificing your lifestyle. It’s a great opportunity to ask the experts.”

Among the topics to be discussed are how to inspect your sprinklers for problems, landscaping with drought tolerant plants, setting your outdoor watering timers and knowing when to water your landscape, how to convert to a drip irrigation system, how to install high efficiency sprinklers, what types of low-water-using fixtures and appliances are suitable for inside your house and the available rebates for water saving devices.

In addition to the $30 credit, Valencia Water Company customers who attend will also be eligible for door prizes, such as water conservation kits. Additional classes will be scheduled. More details, including map and directions to the Community Room, are available on the Valencia Water Company website www.valenciawater.com or by calling 661-294-0828.

Future Saturday classes, which begin at 10 a.m., are July 21, Aug. 18, Sept. 15 and 29, and Oct. 13. Additional Wednesday classes, which begin at 6:30 p.m., are on Aug. 8 and 22, Sept. 19, and Oct. 17.

Dickens said interest in water conservation remains high among Valencia Water Company customers.

“With the implementation of our Water Smart Allocation Program and tiered rates, customers now have greater detail about their water use on a monthly basis. This information helps them more quickly identify problems, such as a leaking toilet or broken sprinkler,” Dickens said.  “However, this additional detail also is prompting customers to seek more tips and assistance simply to be more efficient with this precious resource and to save money.”

Dickens said Valencia Water Company has received hundreds of requests for its residential tune-up program, which involves a specialist coming to a person’s home to review their water use.

“Now, we are offering these workshops as one more way we can reach our customers and help them become more water efficient,” Dickens said. “The classes provide simple solutions that customers can implement to achieve high water savings and teaches them things that they can implement on their own, for years to come.”

The Water Smart Allocation and Tiered Rates Program provide Valencia Water Company customers with detailed water use information on both their monthly bills and online through their secure personal billing accounts. Valencia Water Company provides monthly water allocations to each of its residential customers based on their specific water use needs using weather data specific to the Santa Clarita Valley, calculations on efficient indoor water use, and precise information about each individual customer’s landscaped area.Water allocations and tiered rates are a fair and equitable method of providing residents an amount of water calculated to efficiently meet their specific needs.

About Valencia Water Company

Valencia Water Company serves approximately 115,000 people in the Santa Clarita Valley, including Valencia, Stevenson Ranch, and portions of Newhall, Saugus and Castaic. Valencia supplies its customers with high-quality water supplied from local wells and from imported supplies. Valencia is an investor owned water utility regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the state agency charged with regulatory oversight of public utilities in California.  Valencia Water Company can be reached at: 661-294-0828.