Six ways to conserve water this summer.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 Add a comment
With the summer heat upon us, and low rain fall recently, we all need to do our part to conserve water. Here are a few ideas how you can do your part.
1. “Plant” Synthetic Grass If you are thinking about planting a new lawn this year, know that AstroTurf is back. It’s not what you think. Synthetic grass actually looks like grass, and it does not need a drop of water to maintain its lush green color. An additional bonus is that you’ll never have to mow the lawn again.
2. Water Efficiently Residential properties are regularly overwatered by 30 to 40 percent http://www.stopwaste.org). Learn how to water your lawn efficiently and at the correct time of day. For example, watering your lawn either in the late evening or early morning reduces evaporation.
3. Go to a Car Wash Using a running hose to wash a car uses up to 150 gallons of water. Most car washes use about five to 10 gallons of water per car http://www.epa.gov/). In addition, the water used to wash a car in a driveway goes from the street gutter straight to bay or rivers without being treated. Car washes must treat their water before it enters the water system. Many car washes also recycle graywater, keeping the environment clean and conserving at the same time.
4. Use a Broom Running a garden hose can waste up to 10 gallons per minute http://conserve.sfwater.org) and is unnecessary when cleaning a driveway or sidewalk. The water from a garden hose also contributes to the pollutant waters already abundant in sewer systems.
5. Check for Leaking Sprinklers and Hoses A leaky faucet can waste 100 gallons a day http://www.sscwd.org/), which includes outdoor systems. Check for and replace leaking hoses or sprinklers. Place automatic water shut-off nozzles on any hoses.
6. Plant Mulch Planting a layer of mulch around trees and plants, such as chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slows down evaporation. By doing so, 750 to 1,500 gallons of water can be saved a month http://www.mwdh2o.com/).
I can be so easy to conserve. I found this information from a CAR newsletter and thought I’d share it with everyone. Enjoy.
~ Barry
