In advance of the vacation season, four water providers are offering free water checkups to hotels and restaurants and providing free printed materials to inform patrons about ways to conserve water.

Santa Barbara’s peak festival season is summer, when visitors can count on a free festival or cultural celebration nearly every weekend, according to the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission.

To prepare for the visitors who will stay overnight and dine out, hotel, motel and restaurant managers in much of South County can get a free assessment of their water use. Upon request, a water resources specialist will visit the business and evaluate fixtures for opportunities to save water. The participating water providers are the city of Santa Barbara, the Goleta Water District, the Montecito Water District and the Carpinteria Valley Water District.

Hotels and motels also can take advantage of the free door hangers that ask patrons who stay more than one night to reuse their towels instead of having them laundered, or the free pillow cards that ask visitors to reuse their sheets. Restaurants are eligible for table tents that let patrons know that water is served only upon request.

During the water checkup, the water resources specialists will

» Offer instructions on meter reading.

» Check for leaks inside and outside.

» Evaluate all water uses.

» Provide information on rebates, incentive programs and water conservation strategies.

» Check the efficiency of an irrigation system.

» Offer suggestions for developing an irrigation schedule.

» Provide information on landscaping and irrigation technology and programs.

Click here for more information.

— Alison Jordan is a water conservation coordinator for the city of Santa Barbara Public Works Department.