Saving Water in Your New Home
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
Save water, it may be more precious than you can possibly imagine. There are several completely painless things you can do to save water where you live and work. You've heard them all before, but sometimes they just don't seem to sink in.
Some Things You Can Do
Put a brick in your toilet tank. You should seal the brick in something waterproof, like plastic wrap or aluminum foil, since the water can eventually dissolve the brick and clog the tank. Or, put a quart jar in the tank, without the lid. Water will fill the jar, keeping it in place. A quart doesn't sound like much? If you flush four times a day, you'll save 365 gallons of water a year. Better yet, take advantage of local programs that will install low-flow toilets in your home for free, or for a very low cost. We have low-flow toilets, and they are excellent.
Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth, shaving, or soaping up in the shower, or doing any task that doesn't call for a constant stream of water. Sounds pretty simple, and it will save you a lot of water throughout the year.
Encourage water conservation in your home and away from home. Do one larger load instead of two smaller loads of laundry. Don't run your dishwasher until it is completely full. Encourage local teachers to teach water conservation in the schools and set a good example for your children. They learn from what they see.
Saving Outside
When watering gardens or lawns, don't let the water run into the street or sidewalks. If it does, your lawn has had enough. Turn off the hose, let the lawn rest for at least 30 minutes, and water again. If the water runs off, STOP watering, your lawn is FULL! Better yet, use sprinklers or a drip irrigation system. You can set these on a timer to water a certain amount of time, and you can water in the evening or at night when it makes more sense.
Don’t let the hose run while you aren't using it, and DON’T wash down sidewalks or driveways. A common garden hose puts out an average of five gallons of water a minute! Sweep, it's better exercise.
Don't water between 10am and 4pm. Much of your water will evaporate during this time, especially on hot summer days, when your lawn and gardens need it the most.
