Water Conservation
Why Conserve?
It is everybody’s responsibility to conserve water each day.
“And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot
about the rich years, and during the wet years
they lost all memory of the dry years.”
– John Steinbeck, East of Eden.
California is facing many water supply challenges. In June 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought and snowpack in 2009 indicate we are in for the worst drought in California's history. 2010 is no different. California is going to have to make changes to water use and improve the infrastructure to assure that all Californians have water for now and into the future.
Hi-Desert Water District has an aggressive water conservation program, including public education to educate the public on water conservation. In addition, the District has adopted Water Use Restrictions and uses a conservation-based tiered rate structure. Customers are encouraged to conserve every drop possible.
Conservation Tips
Indoors
Outdoors
Indoors:
Turn off the faucet between rinses. Letting the water run unnecessarily adds up.
Check toilets for leaks - place die tablet or food coloring in the tank. If the bowl turns the same color you have a leak. Fix the leak right away. Replacing the rubber flapper might stop the leak, otherwise call a plumber.
Replace high water use appliances with water efficient models. Incentives are currently available for replacing your old toilets or washing machine. Restriction apply. For more details visit http://www.highdesertsaveswater.org.
Repair leaks right away. A single drip can waste thousands of gallons of water.
Install low flow showerhead and faucet aerators to reduce the amount of water that is waste.
Take shorter showers - even with a low flow shower head (2.5 gallon per minute or less) will use 12.5 gallons every 5 minutes. Shaving time off your shower saves water.
Install a pressure reducer at your property can also save water by reducing the amount of water that flows through the lines each second. Pressure reducers also protect your plumbing from unnecessary ware.
Fill the bathtub only half-full or less.
Capture water when running it to get hot water and use it in your garden or for other household uses.
Install a hot water recirculating system.
Wash only full loads of dishes in your automatic dishwasher. Also it is unnecessary with the newer models to pre-wash dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Pre-washing dishes wastes water.
Don't let the water run unnecessarily. If you hand wash your dishes, fill one-side of the sink with soap and water and the other with clean water to rinse.
Outdoors:
Use native plants or desert adaptive plants in your landscape. Plants that are native to our area require little to no water. In fact, watering some native plants can damage them. For more information on Native Plants visit SummerTree.org.
Don't over water. Limit watering to no more than three days a week. Plants like less frequent deep waterings instead of frequent shallowing waterings.
Use drip irrigation to water near the base of the plants, instead of sprayheads that blow away from the root zone and evaporate quicker.
Mulch around plants to retain soil moisture and reduce the need to water.
Winterize outdoor plumbing to prevent frozen pipes. Water expands as it freezes causing pipes to break and leak with the potential to waste thousands of gallons. Don't forget to winterize your swamp cooler. Click here to download the Winterize Your Property Pamphlet.
If you have a lawn, cut the grass taller (3"-4" or so) this reduces the evaporation from the soil.
Install a greywater system. To download a copy of The Greywater Guide click here.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks and driveways. Not only does this waste water, it is prohibited by Hi-Desert Water District's Water Use Restrictions Ordinance.
When washing your vehicle, use a bucket and a hose with a shut-off nozzle. Do not let the water run unnecessarily.