Water Efficiency

Most experts recommend infrequent deep watering to promote a healthy landscape and efficient watering. Reduce your watering time and frequency during cooler weather and during the spring and fall when days are shorter. Most common landscaping will survive during winter months with your irrigation system shut off entirely. If you must water, do so infrequently and monitor your watering to prevent overwatering and run-off.

Keeping your lawn a little longer (about three inches high) during summer months will keep it healthier because there is more surface area on the grass and the longer blades help reduce the amount of water it needs by providing more shade to the soil. This is also the best time to mulch your lawn, rather than bag mow, as it will provide additional shade and reduces the amount of water your lawn needs.

Applying mulch to plants and shrubs helps to keep the soil cooler in the summer months, and reduces water evaporation.

Read the instructions on how to most efficiently water your shrubs and plants and adjust your watering as needed. Most shrubs and plants – particularly rose bushes – require significantly less water than your lawn.

Leaks in your system will cost you money. Leaks commonly include running toilets and broken sprinkler heads. Inspect your pipes, both indoors and outdoors, for evidence of leaks. If any are leaking, we ask that you repair them immediately, saving you both water and money. A continuous leak from a hole as small as ¼ inch in diameter would waste more than one million gallons of water in three months.

Please note that the following graphic is for comparative purposes only. Due to differences in computer monitors, the circles on the graphic do not represent actual sizes.

A faucet dripping at the rate of only one drip per second will waste 34 gallons of water in a month’s time.   Toilets that leak and run continuously will waste considerably more water.   Fixing these leaks will save water and money.

If your home or business does not already have water-efficient toilets, now is a great time to consider having them installed.   CHWD offers rebates to help offset the cost, and these toilets can save the typical household up to 650 gallons of water each month.

No matter how efficient your dishwasher or washer machine is, running it half full wastes twice the water. Load them up to reduce and save.

Instead, fill part of the sink with warm soapy water and keep the water turned off while scrubbing.

Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you’ll save 2.5 gallons per minute if you have a water-efficient showerhead. And if you don’t have a water-efficient showerhead, now is a great time to get one.

Each time someone leaves the water running while they brush their teeth or shave, gallons of water go down the drain. Think of it this way: a family of four who diligently turns off their faucet every time they brush their teeth could save 11,000 gallons a year!

If a pipe bursts, you will be able to shut off the water immediately if you know where your main shut off valve is. If a pipe bursts and you are unable to shut off the water, call CHWD at (916) 725-6873 for assistance.

For information about the District’s free irrigation efficiency review, click here or call (916) 725-6873 to schedule an appointment.

Visit the following links for more water conservation information and tips. 

Save Our Water
Be Water Smart
Regional Water Authority