Part of being an active water consumer is getting to know your home's water pressure.

Plain Talk about Drinking Water says, "Temporary low pressure may be caused by heavy water use in your area—lawn watering, a water main break, fighting a nearby fire and so on."

Plain Talk continues, "Permanent low pressure could be caused by the location of your home (on a hill or far from the pumping plant) or pipes that are too small. If you have an older home, the pipes in your home could have a lot of scale in them, leaving little room for the water to flow. Sometimes water pressure problems are as simple as a plugged faucet aerator, and sometimes the design of the interior plumbing can cause low pressure."

Also, you can purchase an inexpensive device that attaches to your faucet and measures the water pressure. Or you can talk to your water provider to check the water pressure at the meter. But it is important to know that many newer fixtures are designed to limit flow to conserve water.

Your water utility might be aware of the water pressure in certain neighborhoods and could consider installing a pressure reducing valve (PRV). As its name suggests, a PRV is a device that your utility can adjust to reduce water pressure.

There are other actions you or your utility can take to manage your home's water pressure. We encourage you to work with your water provider to find what best suits your needs.