Easy Steps Can Save Thousands of Gallons of Water
Drops Add Up if You Make Adjustments When Brushing Teeth, Washing Car and Doing Dishes
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Saturday, August 4, 2007
The next time you brush your teeth, think about turning off the faucet until you need to rinse. That twist of your wrist can save as much as 3,000 gallons of water a year.
When you finally fix the leaky spigot outside your garage, the buckets add up -- one drop a second equals 2,700 gallons a year.
Yes, the efficient 1.6-gallon-per-flush toilet in your house conserves water, but a newer 1.3-gallon model does it better -- 4,000 gallons fewer annually per person.
Little things count -- whether you are dealing with drought or worrying that one will happen soon.
Here are some ways to slow down your water meter and reduce your water and sewer bills at the same time.
Outdoors
Catch AC water. Your air-conditioning unit's condensation drain yields as much as five gallons of water daily. Using plastic plumbing pipe, extend the line so it waters nearby plants or grass.
Meter it. Instead of guessing how much water you apply on the lawn, invest in an inexpensive moisture meter. You can get meters that attach to irrigation systems.
You can also use a screwdriver as a soil probe; if it goes in easily, don't water. Overall, plants and grass need an inch of water per week; more plants die from too much water than from a lack of moisture.
Wash wheels wisely. Wash your car on the lawn, and water the grass at the same time. If you wash your car on the driveway, use an adjustable hose nozzle to save as much as 100 gallons.
When you're finished with the car, use a broom or leaf blower, not the hose, to clean the driveway and sidewalk.
Plan your plants. Group trees, shrubs and perennials according to their water needs. Local garden centers can advise you about plants that tolerate drought better than others once they are established.
Use roof water. Direct downspouts to areas of the yard or plants you want to water. Use rain barrels to catch water and use as needed; place nontoxic Mosquito Dunks in the barrels to kill mosquito larvae.
