Water Conservation Tips

Don't over water your lawn. As a general rule, lawns only need watering every five to seven days in the summer and every 10 to 14 days in the winter. A hearty rain eliminates the need for watering for up to two weeks. Buy a rain gauge and use it to determine how much rain your yard has received. Most of the year, lawns only need one inch of water per week.

Water in the morning. Water lawns during the early morning hours when temperatures and wind speed are the lowest. This reduces losses from evaporation.

Don't water your street. Don't allow sprinklers to water your street, driveway or sidewalk. Position them so water lands on the lawn and shrubs... not the paved areas.

Do not hose down your driveway or sidewalk. Use a broom to clean leaves and other debris from these areas.

Install irrigation devices that are the most water efficient for each use. Micro and drip irrigation and soaker hoses are examples of water efficient irrigation methods.

Avoid over-fertilizing your lawn. Fertilizer applications increase the need for water. Apply fertilizers which contain slow-release, water-insoluble forms of nitrogen.

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Conserving Water Indoors

Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving. Most faucets run at 2 gallons per minute-you save 10 gallons in five minutes!

Washing Dishes: Only run dishwasher with full load. Newer dishwashers typically use 7 gallons per load. Scrape dishes instead of rinsing in the sink if they are being washed in the dishwasher. When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink with soapy water and one with rinse water instead of letting the water run continuously.

Fix those leaks! Leaks can account for 10% or more of the water bill. For example, a toilet with a silent leak can waste 3,000 or more gallons per month! To test for a leak, place a few drops of food coloring or a dye tablet into the back tank. Wait about 10 minutes. If dye appears in the toilet bowl, the toilet has a silent leak. The most common cause is faulty flappers, leaking refill valves, or poorly sized replacement parts. If unsure, consult a licensed plumber for repairs.

Laundry-Only wash full loads! If you must wash partial loads, match the load setting with the amount of laundry to be washed and use the shortest cycle possible. Better yet, replace your washer with a more water efficient model. High efficiency washers use 35 to 55 percent less water, and require less detergent. In addition, they rinse more efficiently and can fit larger capacity loads in the same size drums.

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