Water Conservation Tips for the Outdoors

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(Photo Credit: MULLARKEY, S. (2012). Irrigation spring start-up, lawn sprinkler activation, system tune up. TriStateWaterWork, Retrieved from http://www.tristatewaterworks.com/irrigation-spring-start-up-lawn-sprinkler-activation-system-tune-up)

Watering

  • Invest in a water-efficient irrigation system such as drip irrigation
  • Install a rain sensor on your irrigation controller, so your system won’t run when it is raining
  • Water lawn and plants early in the morning or late evening
  • Water plants deeply, but less frequently
  • Do not over-water plants

Plants:

  • Use mulch covering, which improves soil moisture by preventing evaporation
  • Use drought-resistant plants or trees
  • Plant in the Fall when possible
  • Consider uprooting grass and replacing with vegetable gardens or native plan
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(Photo credit Michaels, K. (2010). Watering plants in container gardens. Retrieved from http://containergardening.about.com/b/2010/06/10/watering-plants.htm)
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(Photo Credit: Sharkey, K. (2010). Which broom? Retrieved from http://homedesign.marthastewart.com/2010/10/which-broom.html)

Cleaning:

  • Use a broom instead of water to clean driveways and sidewalks
  • Wash cars with a bucket, sponge, and a hose with a self-cleaning nozzle
  • If you must use water for cleaning, use a water broom
  • Wash car on lawn and therefore water your lawn while you clean
  • Make sure your swimming pools, fountains, and ponds are equipped with recalculating pumps
References:
This information was derived from the following two websites:
http://saveourh2o.org/content/home
http://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/

Click below to see what else you can do to conserve water: