Dealing With Drought: Easy Ways to Save Water Now
Nobody knows how much rain and snow will reach California next winter. A fifth consecutive year of drought is just as likely as a return to abundant storms.
There is not enough water stored in California to meet all of its needs. Supplies to cities, farms, fish and wildlife all have been cut back significantly. Collective conservation can ease this collective pain.
Outdoor measures
If you have a lawn, stop watering it. Let it turn brown and crisp. I did! If you use the lawn, water it once or twice a month—just long enough to wet the root zone to a depth of 3 to 5 inches (use a flat-blade screwdriver or trowel to check). This will keep the lawn alive, and when rains return, the grass will revive.
If your lawn is strictly decorative, start planning to replace it with native or drought-tolerant plants such as lavender, yucca, manzanita and succulents, along with rock or mulch. The variations can be beautiful and practically free of maintenance.
In the house
At home, think twice before flushing the toilet. Toilets use on average nearly two gallons per flush. Eliminate three flushes a day, and you’ll save more than 2,000 gallons a year. Toilets are the biggest users of water in the typical home.
If you’re able to make the investment, a new low-flush toilet or highly efficient washing machine can reduce your water consumption for years. A few dollars at the hardware store will get you an easy-to-install aerator that limits how much water flows from your bathroom faucet, but not so much that it interferes with hand washing and teeth brushing. It takes no money to always run full loads in a dishwasher or washing machine.
Go to SaveOurWater.com for more water-saving tips. Your conservation effort, multiplied by millions of other Californians, will help us through this drought and better prepare us for the future.