With up to 70% of your home’s water being used outdoors, the lawn and garden are good places to start a water efficiency checkup. Fine-tuning where and how you use water will also help save on your water bill. And as outside temperatures hit the triple digits, there is no better time than now to think about conservation.

The CV Water Counts collaborative offers numerous tips and resources on water savings.

Here are some ideas to get started:

  1. Minimize evaporation by programming irrigation timers to run at night or in the early morning
  2. Install drip irrigation to feed plants at their roots
  3. Replace grass with native and drought-tolerant landscaping
  4. Check sprinkler systems for leaks, overspray and broken sprinkler heads and repair promptly
  5. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks
  6. Consider installing a smart irrigation timer that adjusts watering based on the weather, soil type and plant type and placement

Simple changes like these can save you thousands of gallons of water per month and ensure we have water for all our needs, now and in the future.