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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!
