Conserving Water During the Drought

It’s no secret that California has been fairly dry for the last several years. While last winter brought about a good amount of rain and snow, which has helped refill lakes and reservoirs, this influx of water only made a small dent in the actual scope of the water shortage our state has been experiencing. Therefore, it’s still crucially important that everyone share the responsibility for conserving water so we can continue to make our municipal supply last as long as possible.

Here are a few ways you can save water at home to help save water during the drought.

Make Wise Landscaping Choices

Everyone loves having a green yard filled with beautiful flowers and pristine grass, but maintaining that kind of property in California requires a lot of extra labor and water. Therefore, a lot of Californians are making the active choice to switch over to xeriscaping, or landscaping that requires little or no water to thrive. Want to stay green? California also offers incentives for people who switch to artificial turf instead of grass.

Install Water-Efficient Fixtures

The sinks, showers, and toilets that are found throughout your home all consume water, but they’re not all built equally. Modern, water-smart faucets all use far less water than their predecessors, and that’s great for homeowners and the environment. Not only will you save money by using less water, but the entire state benefits from more water staying in our common supply. Install a low-flow toilet, shower head, or faucet and you could start seeing the benefits almost immediately.

Fix Leaky or Dripping Faucets

A few drips out of a faucet ever so often can’t hurt much, right? Wrong. A dripping faucet can waste as much as five gallons per day, leading to over 2,000 gallons of water per year. That kind of waste not only increases your utility bills, but leads to a lot of lost water. And what’s worse is most leaky faucets or sinks can be repaired without lot of time, effort, or even required handiwork skills. A skilled San Fernando Valley plumber can take care of the issue quickly as well.

Be Smart About Water Usage

Monitoring your own water consumption is perhaps one of the easiest ways to save a ton of water and money. Keep your showers limited to a maximum of about 10 minutes, make sure you turn off the sink while brushing your teeth or shaving, and only run your sprinklers once per week and do so at night to reduce water loss to evaporation. These efforts won’t have a huge impact on your day-to-day living, but will save you a ton of water.