Water Conservation

Lawn Care

  • Raise the height of the blade on the lawn mower so that grass is never less than 1.5 inches; longer grass has stronger roots, crowds out weeds, requires les water and helps the soil retain moisture longer. 
  • Leave the grass clippings on the lawn as they contain valuable nutrients which help grass develop stronger root systems and help retain moisture. 
  • A thorough, less frequent watering encourages deeper, healthier lawn roots, making for a stronger, greener lawn. 
  • Water your lawn for only 1/2 to 1 hour at a time.  Most lawns only need approximately one inch of water per week.
  • Never water your lawn throughout the night
  • Many types of spinklers can lose as much as 50% of water to evaporation - using a soaker hose directly waters the lawn with no loss to evaporation. 

Garden Care

  • Add a mixture of peat moss and compost to your garden - this provides valuable nutrients making for healthier plants, but the soil will actually retain moisture longer
  • Add a layer of mulch, approximately two to four inches in depth to your garden
  • Use plants which are native and are drought resistant 
  • Use rain water collected from your downspout into a rain barrel for watering plants - its better for your plants than tap water
  • Use direct watering methods which soak the area around the plants, such as a soaker hose

Miscellaneous Property Care

  • Use a broom to clean off your driveway instead of hosing it down
  • Instead of sing a hose use a bucket to wash vehicles 
  • Putting a cover on your swimming pool reduces evaporation
  • Fix leaky faucets as soon as possible - one drip per second can amount to 60 litres of water per day
  • Fix leaky toilets as soon as possible.  Leaky toilets are also big water wasters - wasting as much as 750 litres of water per month