Water Conservation Tips

Outdoor Watering Tips

• Water your lawn only when necessary. Test it by stepping on your grass. If it springs back when you lift your foot, it doesn't need water. Adjust the sprinkler duration accordingly.

• Use a sprinkler that throws large drops of water rather than a fine mist. This will reduce water losses from wind drift and evaporation. Consider use of drip irrigation for bedded plants, trees, or shrubs.

• Water less in the spring and fall. During the hotter summer months, water lawns early in the morning to reduce evaporation losses.

• When washing the car, use a bucket of soapy water. Only use the hose for rinsing.

• Regular aerating is important to the health of your lawn. Try to aerate two to three times a year, especially in the Fall and Spring. Aeration breaks up the soil and allows water to soak in more easily.

• Use mulches to help reduce soil moisture losses.

• Spring brings warmth, but it also brings strong winds that could send your sprinkler spray in unintended directions. Follow these tips to avoid wasting water this season:

      1. Turn your sprinkler clock off on windy days to avoid watering sidewalks, streets, your windows and car. Water between sunset and sunrise when winds are usually calmer.

      2. Continue to use your drip irrigation system, which is not affected by wind.

      3. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks.

• Are you considering using a xeriscape design in your yard? Xeriscape incorporates water-friendly, native plants into the landscape design.

      1. Contact your homeowner's association to inquire about landscape covenants.

      2. Visit Colorado Springs xeriscape demonstration garden at 2855 Mesa Rd. in Colorado Springs for an example of a xeriscape garden.

      3. Learn about xeriscape principles at www.csu.org/environment/xeriscape

      4. Denver Water also offers xeriscape seminars -- visit www.denverwater.org.

Indoor Conservation Tips

• Fix leaky faucets and plumbing joints.

• Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. It takes about 32 to 59 gallons of water per load of laundry!

• Shorten your showers. Even a one or two minute reduction can make a difference. Install a low-flow showerhead that restricts the flow of water from the shower to 2.5 gallons per minute.

• When washing dishes by hand, use the least amount of detergent possible. This minimizes the amount of rinse water you will need.

• Be a water miser. Turn off faucets when you don't need to run water.

• Install a low-flow toilet that uses only 1.6 gallons of water per flush.

• When brushing teeth, turn the water off until it is time to rinse.

• Do not let the water run while washing hands. Turn the water off while soaping and turn it on again to rinse.

• When shaving, fill the lavatory with hot water instead of letting the water run continuously.

• Test toilets for leaks. Add a few drops of food coloring or a dye tablet to the water in the toilet tank, but do not flush the toilet. Wait a few minutes to see if the coloring appears in the bowl. If so, the toilet has a silent leak that needs to be repaired.

• Use a toilet tank water displacement device, such as a toilet dam or bag. Also, a plastic bottle can be filled with stones or with water, recapped, and placed in the toilet tank. These devices will reduce the volume of water in the tank but will still provide enough for flushing. (Bricks are not recommended as they eventually crumble and can damage the flushing mechanism.) Displacement devices are not recommended for use with newer low-flow toilets.

• Never use the toilet as a trash can to dispose of bugs, cigarette butts, or other items. Unnecessary flushing wastes water and places an unnecessary burden on sewage treatment plants and septic tanks.

• Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of running water from the tap until it is cool.

• Keep conservation in mind when working in the kitchen. Small water savings, such as not making too much coffee or letting ice cubes melt in a sink, can add up over time.

Daily Indoor Water Usage Graph

Want to learn more about water conservation? Visit www.h2ouse.org