Money Saving Wednesday…Water woes
With the drought continuing in California, Texas, Florida and other places water is a real issue this spring. Today another water district in northern CA placed water restrictions on residents, and it’s still the rainy season. Residents are only allowed to water two days a week. That is barely enough to keep the landscaping alive, dead landscape costs money. There are a few ways to save water that will also save you money.
Purchase a low flow shower head. If you can only afford one then everyone needs to use that shower. I grew up in a home with one shower and it didn’t hurt us one little bit to share.
Purchase a low flow toilet. If you don’t need a new toilet you can make yours more efficient by placing a plastic bottle of water, clean rocks, or a freezer bag filled with water inside the tank. Be careful not to overdue as you still need enough water for an efficient flush. If you need to flush twice to accomplish your goals you have done no good in conserving water or money.
Water at night or early in the morning. The ground will retain the water longer, slowing evaporation, which will help your plants stay healthy on less water.
Turn of water during the day. If you have a fountain in your yard turn it off when you are not actually in the yard and leave it off until the sun goes down. All outdoor water should be shut off unless you are actually there to supervise it’s use.
Turn off your sprinkler system when there is a forecast of rain. I really get a little annoyed when I see sprinklers running during a rain storm. This water will be lost to run off and just make it’s way to a river and then drainage systems but will not add to water storage in reservoirs.
When you wash your car fill a bucket with soapy water. Rinse the car, turn off the water, soap up the car, rinse again and turn off the water as you dry and clean the inside.
Collect the water that you run in your sinks and showers while you wait for the water to get warm. Use this water to water plants, wash the car, wash the floor, or even do dishes. It is, after all, straight from the tap.
There are so many more but this should give you a good start. Think water conservation and save money on your water costs and save water to keep your gardens alive.
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Great suggestions. I’ve been doiign some research for a (simple–I am not that handy) gutter rainwater collection system. My town sells them for about $160 but I just don’t see investing that kind of money right now. Have you had any success creating one(or attempted it)? Thanks.
As always, thanks for your wealth of diverse information!
These are such great ideas! We should all implement them whether we live in a drought area or not.
It irritates me to no end when people are either over-watering or water when there’s no need (such as during a storm).
I hope I don’t embarrass myself with this drought tip… my husband lived in CA as a child and remembers water restrictions. One of the tips they followed in their home was concerning the toilet… “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.”
Gross, but it saved water.
I do know that there are diseases that can attack plants if they are wet all night. For some homeowners it might be better if they watered in the early morning to prevent this problem. I have an apple tree that at times has suffered from fire blight. The best thing to do to prevent fire blight is to NOT spray the water on the tree but to just water low down and get the roots wet. Also, one should not water them in the evening or at night. Trees really need to be well soaked at LEAST once a month. In many drought stricken areas trees are some of the plants that die off. I think it would be better to sacrifice the grass and concentrate on trees and bushes that produce food. Mulching properly also helps conserve water and keeps trees and bushes alive.
Years ago I was impressed with a National Geographic article about how a leader of a nation in Africa had trees planted and hand watered for a number of years. After the trees became large enough, the clouds would stop over that area and rain before continuing onward across the desert.
I have never heard the info on saving water in toilets before. How do I know if I have a low flow toilet? I think they are just the cheap ones that came with this house, so I’m sure they are not energy efficient. Any further info on this or places I can look for more (how to do the rocks, etc)?
When we planted our lawn a few years back, we specifically hunted down the best drought-tolerant/low water grass we could find/afford. It has proved to be fabulous. It is always greener than our neighbor’s even well into the fall. The blades are a bit thicker than traditional bluegrass, but it’s still fine for walking in barefoot.
My only concern with low flow toilets is if your plumbing is hooked up to a septic system rather than public sewer. With a septic, you need more water to keep things moving along. We use a timer to keep the kids from taking ridiculously long showers and have a HE washing machine. I really can’t believe the difference in water usage for that particular washing machine compared to my traditional pair. I do a lot of laundry and this eases my concerns about water quite a bit.