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Conservation Tips for Home Owners
Top 10 Water Saving Tips
HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME and LANDSCAPE MORE WATER-EFFICIENT. San Diego is a semi-arid region ... as much as 90 percent of the water we use is imported Northern California and the Colorado River. It's important for us to make the most of what we have. And there are many ways to do this ... with little or no lifestyle change. All it takes is a conscious effort to conserve our most precious resource ... water!
  1. Water your lawn only when it needs it. Step on the lawn, if it springs back when you lift your foot, it doesn't need water.
  2. Shorten your showers. Just a one or two minute reduction can save hundreds of gallons a month.
  3. Fix leaky faucets and plumbing joints. Use your water meter to see if you have any hidden leaks.
  4. Turn on only the "hot" side of the faucet when hot water is needed. While waiting for it to get hot, capture the water in a watering can or bucket for plants and other uses.
  5. Don't let the hose run while washing the car. Use a bucket and an automatic shutoff nozzle on the hose.
  6. Keep sprinkler heads properly adjusted to ensure they're not watering the sidewalk.
  7. Install low-flow showerheads and toilets in each bathroom. Free showerheads and toilet discounts may be available from the District -- call 670-2290.
  8. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean patios and walkways.
  9. Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.
  10. Don't use the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket.
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Outdoor Conservation Tips Water Only Every Three Days: During HOT weather, lawns need about one inch of water applied at each application. Water one-half inch, wait one hour for it to soak in, then apply the other half-inch. In COOL weather, one-half inch total is sufficient.

Water During the Cool Parts of the Day: Watering during early morning or evening prevents loss of water due to evaporation and wind.

Don't Water the Gutter: Position sprinklers so water lands on your lawn or garden, not on concrete or other paved areas. Set for low spray and don't water on windy days.

Use Drought Tolerate Plants: Many beautiful trees and plants thrive with little or no irrigation in the limited rainfall of our semi-arid region.

Use Drip Irrigation for Trees, Shrubs and Vegetables: The plants will benefit from having the water placed directly on their roots and you will benefit from using less unnecessary water.

Aerate to have a Healthy Green Lawn: Aeration will relieve lawn compaction and reduce water runoff, stimulate new root growth and promote deep rooting.

Put a Layer of Mulch Around Trees and Plants: Mulch slows the evaporation of moisture and cuts down on competing weeds.

Check for Leaks in Pipes, Hoses, Faucets and Couplings: Leaks outside the house can be extremely wasteful, especially when they occur in your main line or irrigation system.

Check Your Soil and Add Soil Amendments if Necessary: If soil drains too quickly or if water puddles because it drains too slowly, add amendments to reduce moisture loss and improve drainage.

  
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Indoor Conservation

 Leak Repair: Fix leaky faucets and plumbing joints. Saves 15-20 gallons a day for every leak stopped.

Check Your Toilet for Leaks: If it is leaking, you could be wasting a lot of water without even flushing. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without the toilet being flushed, you have a leak to repair. Saves a least 400 gallons a month.

Install Water-Saving Devices In the Bathroom: The bathroom accounts for 75% of the water used inside the home.

Toilets: ULFT'S (Ultra Low Flush Toilets) are hydraulically designed to operate efficiently using only 1.6 gallons of water. CALL 1-800-986-4538 for VOUCHER information Vouchers worth up to $75 are available for the purchase of ULFT's. This is a VOUCHER ONLY program. With a voucher you will get credit at the time of purchase.

Showerheads: Low flow shower heads can save up to 2 gallons per minute - up to 500 to 800 gallons a month. They have a shut off valves to use while sudsing down or shampooing your hair. You can save up to %27 more water by taking showers with low flow showerheads instead of baths and shorten your shower to less than eight minutes. Even a one or two-minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons a month.

Faucets: Add aerators or flow restrictors to bathroom and kitchen faucets. Aerators mix air with faucet water to reduce water flow. Spray taps screw on just like aerators. They spray water like a miniature shower, and can be moved around to direct spray in the basin.

Automatic Dishwashers: Use your dishwasher only for full loads. It's going to take 12 gallons whether there's a dinner full of dishes or just a couple of cups and utensils.

Automatic Washing Machines: Use washer only for full loads. Save up for a full load and make your water work efficiently. Many washers as much as 40 gallons of water per load. Also you might consider a 'Horizontal Axis Washers'. These new designs, while initially more expensive, can save up to 3500 to 6000 gallons per household annually.

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