Water & Wastewater Department
WATER CONSERVATION
Why is it important to conserve water?
When you conserve
water, you also save money and energy.
What activity in my home uses the most
water?
Without counting
lawn sprinkling, the breakdown of typical water usage for a family of four is:
Ø
Toilet flushing 40%
Ø
Bath &
Shower 32%
Ø
Laundry 14%
Ø
Dishwashing 6%
Ø
Cooking &
Drinking 5%
Ø Bathroom Sink 3%
What are some ways I can conserve water in
the home?
Around
the House
Ø
Repair
leaks. A leak of one drop per second
wastes 2,400 gallons per year.
Ø
Install water
savings devices. Aerators, mix water
with air. Displacement devices in
toilets to reduce the amount of water used to flush in older models.
Ø
Fill the sink
when you shave or wash, don’t let the water run when you brush your teeth.
Ø
Install low
flow showerheads, take shorter showers, and turn off water while soaping up.
Ø
Use the garbage
disposal sparingly. Better yet, use a
garbage can and compost pile instead.
Ø
Only do full
loads in your dishwasher.
Ø
Use the load
selector on your washing machine and do full loads.
Ø
For general
cleaning, use a pail or basin instead of running water.
Ø
Use a sponge
mop instead of a string mop. It uses
less water for mopping and takes less water to keep clean.
Ø
Check your
water system for leaks. Locate your
water meter, read it first at night, after the day’s water use has ended. Check it again first thing in the morning
before any water usage. (Your water
meter is located where the water supply enters your home. It may be near your water heater or washing
machine.)
Ø
Check your
toilet for leaks. Put 10 drops of food
coloring in the tank. Don’t flush for 15
minutes. If the colored water shows up
in the bowl, the tank is leaking.
Ø
Don’t use your
toilet as a wastebasket or ashtray.
Ø Insulate hot water pipes so water does not have to
be run until hot.
In the
Yard
Ø
Water your lawn
during the early morning or evening hours to minimize evaporation loss. It also achieves greater soil saturation, and
provides better plant absorption of the water.
Ø
Water
on calm days to avoid loss of sprinkler water by strong winds.
Ø
Avoid over
watering. If runoff occurs, stop
watering immediately. Adjust automatic
sprinklers and/or select proper nozzles to minimize runoff.
Ø
How often
should I water?
Water a
Bermuda-grass lawn once every three days during the summer. Even during the hottest part of the year, you
promote deep root growth and that makes your lawn more water efficient. In the winter, Bermuda-grass lawns go dormant
and do not require watering. If you have
a winter rye-grass lawn, it should be watered about once each week after it is
established.
Ø
Don’t water
after it has rained. Here’s a test to
determine if water is needed. Try
pushing the 6” long shaft of a screwdriver into the ground. If it goes in easily, don’t water.
Ø
Use the same
sprinkler type and nozzle size in each area watered.
Ø
Adjust
sprinklers so they spray on grass, not on walls, driveways and sidewalks.
Ø
Mow your lawn
regularly. Make sure grass does not
block sprinklers.
Ø
Replace broken
and missing sprinkler heads immediately.
A missing sprinkler head can lose more than 12 gallons per minute.
Ø
If some areas
appear dry after sprinkling, hand-water those areas instead of increasing
watering time.
Ø
Do not be
alarmed at brown, withered leaves as a result of drought. These are normal signs of dormancy on cool
season grasses. Lawns allowed to go
dormant should only be watered every three weeks in the absence of rainfall.
Ø
Use a rain
gauge to measure the rainfall, but remember to empty the gauge at the end of
every week.
Ø
In cooler
temperatures, your lawn needs less water too.
In spring and fall and during long, cool spells in summer, your lawn may
only need to be watered once every two weeks.
Ø
If you are not
sure when to water your lawn, walk on the grass. If you leave footprints because the grass you
stepped on remains flattened, you need to water.
Ø
Delay watering
in the spring to allow your lawn to grow deep roots.
Ø
Start watering
your lawn once every 7 to 10 days in late May or early June.
Ø
Cut your grass
no less than 1½ inches high to shade the grass roots
and protect them from drying out.
Ø
Stop sprinkling
your lawn if the water runs off. Either
your lawn has enough moisture or your soil is so compacted that water cannot
soak in.
Ø
If your soil is
compacted, aerate your lawn, preferably in spring or fall. Aerating cuts small holes in the ground to
allow air, water and fertilizer to reach the roots.
Ø
Add organic
matter to your garden to increase the capacity of the soil to retain water.
Ø
Rain Barrels
are “In”. You can take care of all your
water needs by placing a rain barrel under all of your gutter downspouts. Be sure to protect them from Mosquitoes.