Drought!
It isn't predictable. That's a science whose
time has not yet come. About the best scientists
can do is look at what's happened in the past
and calculate the odds of future rainfall.
Wise
water use, however, must be a way of life
in Southern California --- not just during
times of drought. As population figures climb,
future water supplies are by no means dependable.
The
average Southern California home uses 384
gallons of water daily, indoors and out. The
average apartment or condominium uses 256
gallons daily. An individual uses between
100 140 gallons of water each day.
We
can't predict the weather. But we can do many
things to stretch the supplies we have. So
drought or not, please don't waste water.
Follow the tips below and save hundreds of
gallons each month. Remember we're living
in a semiarid desert.
Water
your lawn only when it needs it. Step
on your grass. If it springs back when
you lift your foot, it doesn't need
water. So set your sprinklers for more
days in between watering. Saves 750
to 1,500 gallons a month. Better yet,
especially in times of drought, water
with a hose.
2.
Fix
leaky faucets and plumbing joints. Saves
20 gallons a day for every leak stopped.
3.
Don't
run the hose while washing your car. Use
a bucket of water and a quick hose rinse
at the end. Saves 150 gallons each time.
For a two-car family that's up to 1,200
gallons a month.
4.
Install
water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors.
Saves 500 to 800 gallons a month.
5.
Run
only full loads in the washing machine
and dishwasher. Saves 300 to 800 gallons
a month.
6.
Shorten
your showers. Even a one or two-minute
reduction can save up to 700 gallons a
month.
7.
Use
a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways
and sidewalks. Saves 150 gallons or more
each time. At once a week, that's more
than 600 gallons a month.
8.
Don't
use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket.
Saves 400 to 600 gallons a month.
9.
Capture
tap water. While you wait for hot water
to come down the pipes, catch the flow
in a watering can to use later on house
plants or your garden. Saves 200 to 300
gallons a month.
10.
Don't
water the sidewalks, driveway or gutter.
Adjust your sprinklers so that water lands
on your lawn or garden where it belongs
--- and only there. Saves 500 gallons
a month.
Put
a plastic bottle or a plastic bag weighted
with pebbles and filled with water in
your toilet tank. Displacing water in
this manner allows you to use less water
with each flush. Saves 5 to 10 gallons
a day. That's up to 300 gallons a month,
even more for large families. Better
yet, for even greater savings, replace
your water-guzzling five-to-seven-gallon-a-flush
toilet with a three-and-a-half-gallon,
low-flush or one-and-a-half-gallon,
ultra-low-flush model.
2.
Take
baths instead of showers. A partially
filled tub uses less water than all but
the shortest showers. Saves 15 to 20 gallons
each time.
3.
If
you're taking a shower, don't waste cold
water while waiting for hot water to reach
the shower head. Catch the water in a
container to use on your outside plants
or to flush your toilet. Saves 200 to
300 gallons a month.
4.
Check
toilet for leaks. Put dye tablets or food
coloring into the tank. If color appears
in the bowl without flushing, there's
a leak that should be repaired. Saves
400 gallons a month.
5.
Turn
off the water while brushing your teeth.
Saves three gallons each day.
6.
Turn
off the water while shaving. Fill the
bottom of the sink with a few inches of
water to rinse your razor. Saves three
gallons each day.
7.
If
you wash dishes by hand --- and during
a drought that's the best way --- don't
leave the water running for rinsing. If
you have two sinks, fill one with rinse
water. If you only have one sink, use
a spray device or short blast instead
of letting the water run. Saves 200 to
500 gallons a month.
8.
When
washing dishes by hand, use the least
amount of detergent possible. This minimizes
rinse water needed. Saves 50 to 150 gallons
a month.
9.
Keep
a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator.
This beats the wasteful habit of running
tap water to cool it for drinking. Saves
200 to 300 gallons a month.
10.
Don't
defrost frozen foods with running water.
Either plan ahead by placing frozen items
in the refrigerator overnight or defrost
them in the microwave. Saves 50 to 150
gallons a month.
11.
Don't
let the faucet run while you clean vegetables.
Rinse them in a filled sink or pan. Saves
150 to 150 gallons a month.
12.
Use
the garbage disposal less and the garbage
can more. Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month.
Indoor
savings based on a family of two adults
and one child.
AND
OUTSIDE…
13.
Put
a layer of mulch around trees and plants.
Chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slows
down evaporation. Saves 750 to 1,500 gallons
a month.
14.
If
you have a pool, use a pool cover to cut
down on evaporation. It will also keep
your pool cleaner and reduce the need
to add chemicals. Saves 1,000 gallons
a month.
WHEN
IT'S WILLING, LET NATURE DO THE JOB!
15.
Water
during the cool parts of the day. Early
morning is better than dusk since it helps
prevent the growth of fungus. Saves 300
gallons a month.
16.
Don't
water the lawn on windy days. There's
too much evaporation. Can waste up to
300 gallons each time.
17.
Cut
down watering on cool and overcast days
and don't water in the rain. Adjust or
deactivate automatic sprinklers. Can save
up to 300 gallons each time.
18.
Set
lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer
grass means less evaporation. Saves 500
to 1,500 gallons each month.
19.
Have
an evaporator air conditioner? Direct
the water drain line to a flower bed,
tree base or lawn.
20.
If
municipal ordinances don't prohibit it,
drive your car onto a lawn to wash it.
Rinse water can help water the grass.
21.
Tell
your children not to play with the garden
hose. Saves 10 gallons a minute.
22.
If
you allow your children to play in the
sprinklers, make sure it's only when you're
watering the yard --- if it's not too
cool at the time of day.
23.
When
taking your car to a car wash --- and
during a drought that's a particularly
good idea --- be sure it's one of the
many that recycles its wash water.
24.
If
you're working around the yard, clean
up with waterless hand cleaner rather
than washing under a steady stream of
water. Saves seven to 10 gallons each
time.
25.
If
you don't want water, turn the empty water
glass upside down in a restaurant. Not
only will you save the water you don't
drink, you'll also save the water used
to wash the glass. Collectively saves
millions of gallons a year.
26.
And, finally, replace high-water-using
trees and plants with less thirsty ones.
But do this only in non-drought years.
Even drought-resistant plantings take
extra water to get them going. That'll
save 750 to 1,500 gallons a month.
Take
Advantage of This Complimentary Water Conservation
Assistance
Did
you know…
You can save 500-800 gallons of water
per month by limiting your shower to ten
minutes and using a low flow showerhead.
You can cut the amount of water you use
to flush the toilet by installing a toilet
dam.
You can save up to 9,000 gallons of water
per year by fixing a leaky faucet.
You can save 300-800 gallons of water
per month by only doing full loads of laundry.
Your shrubs need a different watering
schedule than your lawn.
Your watering schedule needs to be adjusted
seasonally.
Over-watering is the most common cause
of lawn and plant disease.
During the
complimentary water survey the surveyor will…
Check your meter to detect leaks
Check your irrigation system for needed
maintenance
Suggest seasonal adjustments for your
individual watering schedule and prepare
an individual water budget for your home.
Check your soil to be sure your watering
schedule matches your soil's ability to
absorb water.
Discuss proper lawn maintenance measures
such as aeration, dethatching, and proper
mowing height.
Offer tips on low-water use landscaping,
where appropriate.
Will review all indoor water using appliances.
Check for indoor leaks.
Give a complete educational packet.
Provide faucet aerators, low-flow showerheads,
toilet dams, and flappers if needed.
To participate in the program, an adult member
of the household who is able to operate the
irrigation system must be present to assist
the surveyor. It is recommended that your
landscape professional (where appropriate)
also be present.
Appointments are limited, and will be filled
on a first-come, first-served basis. Simply
call (949) 631-1200.
About our program…
The Wise Water Use Residential Survey Program,
offered at no cost, will help you learn how
to conserve water and may save you money by
reviewing your landscape, irrigation, and
Indoor plumbing systems.
This special water conservation program is
being offered to a targeted group of households
whose consumption indicates potential water
saving opportunities.
The most important step toward saving water
is understanding where your water is currently
being used.
An experienced conservation surveyor will
help you examine the particular needs of your
household. By reviewing your landscape and
irrigation systems, this complimentary service
can help you and your landscape professional
to identify possible ways to conserve water.
As our population continues to grow, so does the need for conserving water. Over the last few years Mesa customers reduced their average daily consumption over 12 gallons per person every day. That’s over 4,400 gallons saved a year by each resident in Mesa’s service area! Although we are making a good effort at conserving water, we can still do a lot more. Check out this page for more ways you can reduce the amount of water you use.
