With lawns browning, businesses cutting back and every urban water provider in the state required to restrict watering days, many SLO County residents and businesses are looking to conserve water.
If market research or BuzzFeed proves anything it’s that people loves lists, so we reached out and put together a list of helpful water conservation tips.
So here we are, the SLO Chamber list of, big (500 gallon storage tanks) and small (five minute showers) tips and some helpful home hacks.
- Cut back on lawn watering. The biggest water hog for most homeowners is over-irrigating or doing it in a way that is not beneficial to plants and grass. This can be a difficult thing for a lot of people to do but it really is the surefire way to save water.
- In relation to limiting irrigation, ensure that sprinkler systems are finely tuned. Checking for leaks, runoff, etc. is an easy way to not only save water but to make sure that the water being used is getting to its destination. A lot of water is wasted from broken sprinkler heads or misdirected water hitting the sidewalk rather than grass and plants. People should be inspecting their systems regularly. (This goes for both residences and businesses.)
- Collect shower water in buckets and use it to water plants. Use a bucket to collect the cold water as it heats up and then place it in the corner of the shower. Make sure not to use soapy water and avoid irrigating with hot water.
- Turn off water while brushing teeth, washing hands and shaving. You’ve heard it before, but there is a reason it keeps getting brought back up.
- Install a greywater system at your home or business. We recently hosted Farm Supply Company’s Steve Watson at Good Morning SLO to share ideas on water conservation and water storage at home. Click here to view the video.
- Limit showers to five minutes.
- Only run full-loads of laundry.
- Use a full dishwasher rather than hand-washing dishes.