With the current statewide water shortage, is more more important than ever to use water more wisely. For most people, that means getting rid of leaks and using less water intensive landscaping.
In most homes, over 50% of monthly water use is consumed outdoors in the landscape. The remaining water is used inside the home. Below are some useful ways to help you avoid water waste. We have a presentation, tips for lawn removal and a list of tips and resources to help you find alternatives to lawn for your yard.
For more information about the water shortage and for a list of all water conservation programs available to Palo Alto residents, click here.
TOP 10 WAYS TO SAVE WATER IN YOUR LANDSCAPE
1. Check your irrigation controller once a month, and adjust as necessary. Most plants require only one-third as much water in winter as they do in summer. To find out how much water your plants need, visit the Landscape Watering Calculator.
2. Fix leaking sprinklers, valves, and pipes. One broken spray sprinkler can waste 10 gallons per minute – or 100 gallons in a typical 10 minute watering cycle.
3. Move turf away from sidewalks and pavement. Instead plant shrubs or groundcover next to the pavement, and water with low-flow drip or bubbler system to eliminate runoff from turf sprinklers.
4. Check the soil moisture level before watering. You can reduce your water use 20-50% by regularly checking the soil before watering.
5. Water high water-use plants separately from low water-use plants. Low water-use plants can grow with one-half the water needed by high water-use plants, and can be easily damaged from over watering.
6. Apply as little fertilizer as possible. If you use fertilizer, make sure it stays on the landscape. After applying it, carefully water to make sure the fertilizer soaks on, so there is NO runoff.
7. Replace turf with groundcover, trees, and drought tolerant or native shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.
8. Dig-up patches of weeds and undesirable grasses from turf areas. Use water to grow the turf you want, not the weeds you don’t want! Once you have eliminated what you don’t want, add sod or over-seed to repair the bare areas.
9. Change spray sprinklers to low-flow bubbler or drip systems. Shrubs and trees are ideal candidates for this type of irrigation because the water is applied directly to the root zones.
10. Adjust the water pressure of your irrigation system. Spray sprinklers work best at 30 pounds per square inch (psi), and gear and impact rotor sprinklers at 40-60 psi.
TOP 10 WAYS TO SAVE WATER IN YOUR HOME
1. Replace your old front loading clothes washer with a new high-efficiency model that saves 40% on water use and 50-60% on energy use per cycle. Rebate available!
2. Only wash full loads of laundry and dishes
3. Replace your old water guzzling toilet with a new high-efficiency toilet (HET) that uses 70% less water. HETs either use 1.28 gallons per flush or less or may also be dual flush toilets. Rebate available!
4. Replace your old showerheads and aerators with more efficient models. Available for FREE by calling CPAU!
5. When you hear a toilet running or a faucet dripping, fix it as soon as possible. Leaks can waste hundreds of gallons of day, especially the silent toilet leaks that can go unnoticed. To be sure your toilet isn't leaking, use toilet dye tablets once a month to check for flapper leaks.
6. Know where water shut off valves are located for your fixtures. In case you need to repair a toilet or sink you can shut the water supply off to just that fixture. Most modern homes have a shut off valve beneath a sink or a toilet, behind the washing machine or at the pipe leading to the water heater.
7. Don't let the water run while brushing your teeth, shaving or washing your face. By just turning off the water while you brush your teeth you can save over 5 gallons a day.
8. Take shorter showers. Try to limit your time in the shower to 5-7 minutes.
9. Do a monthly leak check on your house. Start by checking your water meter. Turn off all water using fixtures in the home and don't run any water for about 20 minutes. Check the water meter, which is usually located in the front of your house by the sidewalk. If the triangular dial is spinning, you have water running somewhere in the home.
10. If you have an old water softener, switch to a demand initiated regeneration model that regenerates based on your usage and not just due to the set schedule. Make sure any water softener model has a shut-off switch to operate when going on vacations!
For more information, see www.cityofpaloalto.org/resiwater or call (650) 329-2241.
