As our state’s climate becomes hotter and drier, it is critically important that California residents adopt water-saving practices at home. Fortunately, water conservation doesn’t have to be a cumbersome or costly endeavor. By saving water, residents can save money on their utility bills while helping the state prepare for an unstable water future.
The majority of at-home water use is used outdoors. From lush gardens to well-watered lawns, these external water uses often account for a substantial portion of water bills. The following tips are small adjustments to your outdoor spaces that can have a big impact on water use.
- Setting lawnmower blades to 3 inches saves 16-50 gallons per day by encouraging deeper roots
- Watering early morning or late evening saves 50% of sprinkler water otherwise lost to wind and evaporation
- Adjusting sprinkler heads and fixing leaks can save up to 6,300 gallons of water per month
- Switching to water-wise plants can save 30-60 gallons per 1,000 square feet each time you water (visit our SmartScape page for resources on water-wise plants)
- Using a broom to clean outdoor areas saves 6 gallons every minute you’re not running the hose
While the outdoors accounts for roughly 60% of at-home water use, there are plenty of ways to conserve indoors as well. These five tips can help reduce your water usage by dozens of gallons per day!
- Using a dishwasher instead of handwashing saves up to 24 gallons per load of dishes
- Taking 5-minute showers instead of 10-minute showers can save approximately 12.5 gallons per shower
- Washing full loads of clothes can save 15-45 gallons per load
- Fixing sink and toilet leaks can save 27-200 gallons of water per day
- Turning off the sink when brushing teeth or shaving saves 8 gallons per person in each instance
For even more water-saving tips, visit the State of California’s Save Our Water website! Also, check out this article from Porch.com on how you can save tips on water and other utilities around your home!
