Many areas of North America have been plagued by severe drought in recent years. On the west coast, areas such as California are facing the worst drought they’ve ever experienced.
Water conservation is important for every community, regardless of whether or not you live in a drought-stricken area. While many homeowners are forced to let their beautiful landscape turn brown in favor of water conservation, experts encourage homeowners to keep their trees alive because they provide so many benefits. Trees help improve air quality, provide shade and create a habitat for wildlife. Unfortunately, they also require a significant amount of water to survive.
Check out these helpful tips on how you can conserve water in your home.
Outdoors
- Don’t bag grass clippings. They help cool the ground and retain moisture.
- Use a rain barrel to harvest rainwater for plants.
- When replacing landscaping, choose plants native to your climate that need less water.
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean patios, walkways and driveways.
- Use a few inches of mulch around plants to help retain moisture.
- Group plants with the same watering needs together.
- Bathe pets in an area of your lawn that needs watering.
- Let grass grow a little taller to help retain moisture.
- Don’t water on a windy day as the water will blow away or evaporate.
Indoors
- Don’t run the water when washing dishes by hand. Fill one sink with soapy water and the other with rinse water.
- Don’t use running water to thaw food.
- If you drop ice cubes, throw them on a houseplant instead of in the sink.
- Rinse fruits and vegetables in a bowl of water and then use it to water your plants.
- Have a plumber re-route your greywater to trees and plants rather than the sewer line. Check with your city and county for codes.
- Keep your shower to under five minutes to save up to 1,000 gallons per month.
- Turn off water when you brush your teeth to save up to four gallons a minute.
- Avoid water toys that require constant flow of water.
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