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Practicing water conservation on a regular basis can prevent or postpone the building of new water supply infrastructure. When utilities are able to reduce demand, they can frequently extend the life of existing infrastructure, saving their consumers the cost of building or renovating. Conservation can also reduce the amount of water that needs to be processed by wastewater treatment plants, again preserving infrastructure and also reducing the amount of waste discharged to streams and rivers. Finally, sound water use practices can make us more resilient during times of drought, negating the need for mandatory interventions.

Forty percent of total household water supply is used outside the home. Water resources are daily sprinkled, squirted, dripped, gushed and often wasted outside the home. Follow these tips to reduce water use outdoors:

Landscape Irrigation

• Install efficient irrigation systems such as drip irrigation, soil soakers, and efficient sprinkler systems

• Set sprinklers for lawn and garden only, don't water the street or sidewalk

• Water the lawn only when the ground is dry and preferably no more than once a week: The amount of water used by a sprinkler in one hour is equal to the daily water needs of a family of four

• Water during the coolest part of the day (preferably morning) and never water on windy days: As much as 30% of water used can be lost to evaporation by watering lawn during midday 

• Pull weeds to decrease competition for water

• Increase mowing height to 2-3 inches and apply mulch to both reduce evaporation and prevent weed growth

• Limit grass areas and use trees, shrubs, and other plants that require less water to landscape your yard: Grass turf requires 30-50% more water than shrubs and other groundcover

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