Facts and tips on water usage and conservation are presented weekly by the City of Walla Walla, in partnership with Walla Walla Community College and the Union Bulletin during the months of May - September.

Precipitation and Moisture

Last August: .46 inches for the month

This August so far: .03 inches

Chinook salmon and steelhead return numbers

Fish numbers in the Walla Walla River counted at Nursery Street Bridge in Milton-Freewater, Aug. 29th, 2024, are: Spring Chinook, 535; Steelhead, 333.

Data collected by The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Department of Natural Resources; funding provided by Bonneville Power Administration.

Water Usage

This week’s average water use by all city customers: 12.55 million gallons per day. First week of August 2023 average water use: 15.59 million gallons per day.

Water Use Guidelines

For the week of Aug 9th – Aug 15th precipitation was 0.01 inches and turf grass in the area used 0.92 inches of moisture, according to WSU AgWeatherNet data. Home irrigators should have run spray type sprinklers 3 times for 12 minutes and rotor type sprinklers 3 times for 45 minutes. Calculations are based on average precipitation rates at the Walla Walla Community College weather station, please adjust for local conditions.

Yard Care and Water Savings Tips

• Designate one glass for your drinking water each day or refill a water bottle. This will cut down on the number of glasses to wash.

• Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush. There is no need to keep the water running while brushing your teeth. Just wet your brush and fill a glass for mouth rinsing.

• Spend less time in the shower. If you lose track of time, bring a radio into the bathroom and time yourself by how many songs play while you're in there. Try to get your shower time down to a single song (epic rock ballads like Freebird don’t count!).

Additional Water Conservation Information

 Contact the City of Walla Walla Water Division at 509.527.4380 if you have any questions.