Using water efficiently is easier than you think. Start on the path to water efficiency today by following some of these tips.
Outdoors:
Water green—not grey. Adjust your sprinklers so that they don’t spray sidewalks, gutters and driveways and replace any that are broken, crooked or clogged. Your gutter should never collect water if you are watering correctly.
Timing is everything. Watering your lawn before 10 AM or after 6 PM saves water because less water evaporates. Landscapes require less water in the spring and fall and don’t need any water if it has rained.
Rip your strip. Save water by removing hard-to-water areas from your parking strip. Native plants and drought-tolerant grass varieties use less water because they are better adapted to our arid climate. Click here for details.
Harvest Your Rain. Water collected by roofs and rain gutters can be used to water gardens, bushes and other plants. Rain barrels also help to reduce storm runoff and resulting water pollution. You can buy one here.
Sprinkle smart. You can save water by watering the right amount. Most Utahns water twice as much as their lawns need. Water grass deeply, but infrequently (once every 3 days during summer), and water parched areas with a hose instead of turning on your entire sprinkling system.
Use one drop at a time. Replace sprinklers in your garden with a drip irrigation system to apply water directly to the roots where it is needed most. Adding several inches of mulch or straw around plants will help keep the soil moist and reduce water lost through evaporation from soil.
Indoors:
Fill them first. Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full. This small step could save as much as 1,000 gallons of water each month in a typical home. Soak pots and pans instead of letting the faucet run.
Just add air. Installing aerators on faucets in your home is easy, inexpensive, effective, and won’t sacrifice performance. This simple step can instantly reduce a sink’s water flows by 30 % or more.
Tinker with your toilet. Save water by repairing leaky faucets and toilets. A leaky toilet can waste massive amounts of water, especially if there is a silent leak that you may not even notice. These leaks can waste over 5,000 gallons over the course of a year.
Keep it current. Rebates may be available for purchasing water-efficient products and appliances or for removing turf to save water. Contact your city or water supplier to see if you can receive cash for helping to save water.