The South Coast, like so many semi-arid areas, has a water supply that sometimes falls short of demand. Learning to live within our water supply, and using only what we need, is essential. This book of "do it yourself" conservation practices can help all of us extend our supply of water.
The yard consumes a large portion of the water used by the average household. In most communities this amounts to approximately 40% of home water usage.
Hoses often use more water than necessary. A 5/8 inch hose carries more than 1,000 gallons in an hour. Reduce your garden hose size to 1/2 inch for watering. It's lighter and it provides about 600 gallons an hour, which is more than adequate for watering.
Use a nozzle which can be shut off or adjusted to fine spray. When finished, shut off the hose water at the house instead of at the nozzle to avoid leaks.
A pinhole leak in an outside faucet can waste 170 gallons of water in twenty-four hours.
Consider a water saving drip irrigation system that provides a slow, steady supply of water to garden shrubs, etc.
Ask your nursery for a list of low-maintenance plants, such as California native and Mediterranean climate plants, that require less water.
Dig basins around trees and bushes to concentrate the water where it is needed and to prevent runoff.
Check your sprinklers to be sure that they are properly adjusted and be sure that they water your plants, not the sidewalk.
Water only when plants require it and not according to a set schedule.
Distribute mulch or peat moss around your plants to better retain moisture.
Set a timer to avoid over-watering your lawn. Water running down the gutter and sidewalk is not beneficial to plants.
Let grass grow taller in hot weather.
Water slowly and thoroughly during cool, windless hours in the early morning before 10 AM or in the late afternoon after 4 PM. High winds blow away the water and prevent proper coverage.
About 45% of a household's total water consumption comes from the bathroom. Here are several conservation tips:
Reduce the amount of time you spend in the shower. Set a timer, and keep the shower hot for every family member. Shortening your showers by five minutes can mean a savings of 20 to 40 gallons of water. Installing a low flow showerhead with a shut-off valve can save you even more.
In the shower, a lot of water can be wasted while soaping up. Wet down, turn off the water, soap up and the turn the water on for rinsing.
Try washing both of your youngsters in the same tub of water if they are not too dirty. This saves water and can be fun for the kids. Re-use bath water for plants and for heavy cleaning jobs.
When brushing your teeth, only turn the water on to wet the brush. Make sure to turn it off when brushing. Fill a glass to rinse your mouth and wash the brush. This can mean the difference between using a pint of water and wasting several gallons.
Make sure you have an aerator on all sink faucets.
A well maintained toilet can mean big water savings. Usually, a 100 gallon a day toilet leak is not very noticeable. Use a few drops of food coloring or toilet tablets in the tank and wait for 15 minutes. If the toilet is leaking, the water in the bowl will change color. A bad leak can send thousands of gallons silently down the drain. Silently, that is, until you receive your water bill.
Use a waste basket for disposing facial tissues. Saving one flush is worth five to seven gallons of water in a standard toilet.
DO NOT use a brick in your toilet tank Ñ it may disintegrate and cause problems in your lines. Instead, consider installing a low-flow toilet that uses 1.6 gallons per flush.
The kitchen is an excellent place for conservation. Be especially conscious of running water and develop the habit of shutting off the tap whenever possible.
Boiling requires very little water if you use a tight fitting lid to conserve moisture. By steaming you can save all the vitamins and minerals, too. But if you do boil vegetables, save the water for soups and sauces... they will be tastier and more nutritious.
Remove ice cubes from the freezer a few minutes before you need the ice. The cubes will loosen at room temperature and will save several quarts of water if they are not run under the tap. Don't quick-thaw meats under the faucet either.
Before scrubbing your pots and pans, wash them first. Instead of running water continuously, fill wash and rinse basins with water. Use a minimum amount of detergent. Add vinegar (1/4 to 1/2 cup) to dishwater to prevent grease from clinging to dishes, pots and pans.
When using the dishwasher, make sure it is fully-loaded. It also helps to use a water saving model. Some dishwashers use up to 25 gallons of water a cycle while newer models may use only 10 gallons. If you are buying a new dishwasher, shop around to find the machines that use less water per cycle and are more efficient.
Repair leaks. Inspect all connections to be sure they're tight and dry.
Many automatic dishwashers do not require rinsing dishes before loading the machine, but if yours does, pond water in the sink and soak them.
Save water by accumulating food cuttings in the drain area and by only switching on the garbage disposal when it is full. Using left over wash water when you run the disposal will save more of our drinking water.
Each time you need water to wash dishes, scrub vegetables, wash your face, shave, hand-wash clothes, and many other cleaning jobs, put the stopper in the sink and pond the water you need rather than letting it run down the drain. This habit alone will save as much as five gallons a minute!
Use a pail or basin instead of running water. Use a sponge-mop instead of a string-mop. It uses less water for mopping and takes less water to keep the mop clean.
Presoak grills, oven parts, etc., overnight. Wash with an abrasive scrub brush or pad and use plenty of elbow grease to minimize water use.
Check faucets and hose connections for leaks. Repair or replace when necessary. Inspect pipes for pinhole leaks, leaking joints, etc.
More than 10% of all water used in the home is used in the washing machine, so even a small investment of time and money can pay off in the long run. Washing machines use 30-55 gallons per load. Use the load selector to match the water level to size of the load. If there is no selector, wash only full loads. Presoak heavily soiled items and always use a minimum amount of detergent.
Re-use water. For many laundry and household cleaning jobs, a low-sudsing, bio-degradable detergent will result in cleaner rinse water which can be used again.
Although California's public water is safe and meets all State and Federal Health Standards, some residents have installed water softeners and drinking water filters at their homes and businesses. The amount of water that water softeners and reverse osmosis systems use in their normal operations is a concern as our area has so little water to spare.
If you own or rent a water softener or R/O system, there are several things you can do to minimize the amount of water used in their operation.
When leaving on vacation it is a good idea to shut-off the water at the main outside valve. While you are away, an undetected leak could result in great waste, possible damage, and an expensive water bill.
Check outside water faucets to see that they are turned off completely.
The final test of a leak-proof house is your meter. Here's how it's done: