How to Reduce Outdoor Water Use this Summer

Water bills routinely rise during the summer months because of lawn watering, car washing, and outdoor water play. The average home devotes 30 percent of its water consumption to outdoor use, and about half of that water is wasted due to evaporation, wind, and runoff. If you’re ready to save money and lower your impact on the environment, learn how to reduce outdoor water use throughout the season with these conservation tips.

Lawn & Landscape

You probably maintain a lawn and garden to create beautiful curb appeal and provide a place for your kids to play. Here’s how to save water without letting your landscape suffer:

• Group plants with similar watering requirements together.
• Consider replacing at least part of your sprawling lawn with an eco-friendly alternative that requires little to no water, such as xeriscaping or a rock garden. After all, irrigating a 1,000-square-foot lawn just one-half-inch deep requires 330 gallons of water!
• Irrigate your lawn in the evening or early morning hours to reduce evaporation.
• Check the grass before you water. If the blades spring back up after walking on them, it’s not time to water yet.
• Raise the setting on your lawnmower to maintain longer grass. This improves drought-resistance and reduces evaporation.

Swimming Pool

The average backyard swimming pool holds 18,000 gallons of water. To help prevent the water from evaporating at a rate of up to 1,000 gallons per month, cover the pool when it’s not in use. This also reduces pool cleaning requirements, saving you time and effort.

Car Washing

Everyone wants to drive a clean car, but washing it can waste a lot of water. For a sparkling clean exterior without all the waste, consider taking your vehicle to a self-service carwash. The high-pressure hoses and easy-shutoff pistol grips help you clean your car thoroughly with the least amount of water. Some carwashes even recycle wastewater to reduce their environmental impact.

If you choose to wash your car at home, remember to turn off the hose when you’re not using it. A free-flowing garden hose can easily use 100 gallons of water or more in the time it takes to wash your car. Using a bucket of soapy water and a sponge, followed by rinsing the car with a hose, is a low-waste option.

Recycling Outdoor Water

Get more from the water on your property with these recycling methods:

• Install rain barrels under your home’s gutters to collect hundreds of gallons of water over the summer. Covering the barrel with a mesh screen prevents mosquitoes from breeding there.
• Create a rain garden that reuses rainwater runoff that would normally drain into the sewer system.
• Collect overflowing water from one potted plant and use it to water another one.

Bob Hoegler Plumbing can help you conserve water inside and outside your home with efficient plumbing services and fixtures. To learn more, or to schedule an appointment, please contact us at 732-521-0133.