Drought conditions have become common in many places in the United States. But, conserving water is a subject we should all take seriously. If everyone could reduce their water usage, local water supplies would be better protected and last longer.
If you have no idea how to develop an effective drought plan to reduce water consumption, here are a few tips and tricks that should get you started.
Water Conservation Outside of Your Home
Things like lawn care, plant watering, and car washing can use a lot of water. While you could avoid doing these things, a better solution may be finding ways to accomplish these without wasting water.
Car Washing
If possible, avoid washing your car during drought conditions. If you are a real stickler for a clean car or need to remove debris that may damage your paint, find a car wash that offers low water washes. If you want to wash the car yourself, do not let the hose run while cleaning it. Wet the car, turn off the hose, and leave it off until you are ready to rinse the entire thing.
Plant Watering
If you have a vegetable garden or container plants, they will not survive drought conditions without water. If you have an irrigation system, make sure that each valve and hose operates properly for the most efficient watering. If you have a smaller garden that must be watered by hand, collect rainwater or use water collected from the kitchen to do as much of it as possible.
Lawn and Landscape Care
No one likes to see dry brown lawns, but keeping your lawn alive during a drought may be challenging. Consider reseeding your lawn with drought-resistant grass. This will reduce the amount of water needed to keep it green.
If this is not an option for you and you insist on watering your lawn, check your sprinkler system to ensure there are no leaks and all the water is falling where it is valuable. Plus, be sure to avoid over watering.
When watering trees, remember that the roots extend for quite a distance underground. Don't place the water source too close to the trunk as much of the water deposited there will go to waste. If you water further away from the base of the tree, the water is more likely to reach the roots and be absorbed by them.
Water Conservation in Your Home
There are many ways you can reduce water usage in your home. Start by replacing or repairing any leaks, running toilets, or dripping faucets. Even a slow leak can waste gallons of water over time.
Once that is done, there are more ways to save water. Most of them are pretty simple and easy to adjust to. There are three rooms in your home where implementing a drought plan can save the most water: the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room.
Saving Water in Your Kitchen
If you are like many people, you waste a great deal of water in your kitchen without noticing. Running a dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand can save a large amount of water. Even if you don't have a dishwasher, you can save water by using two dishpans — one for soapy water and the other to rinse.
Don't let that water go down the drain if you have to run your faucet while waiting for the water to warm. Capture it in a bottle or bucket and use it for rinsing dishes, making coffee, plant watering, or mopping the floor.
The water used for cooking can also often be saved and put to good use. You can use the water you used to cook pasta or vegetables to water your garden. Your plants will appreciate the extra nutrition.
Saving Water in the Bathroom
The bathroom offers many opportunities for you to reduce water consumption. Turning off the water while brushing your teeth or lathering in the shower can save gallons of water each time. You may also want to consider taking baths instead of showers or, if you prefer showering, take short ones.
If you have an older toilet with a large capacity tank, you can either replace it or place a gallon bottle filled with water or a brick or two into the tank to displace some of the water. This will reduce the storage capacity of your tank and reduce the amount released with every flush.
Another option is to consider a dual flush toilet. These offer you the option to flush liquid waste using significantly less water than the amount used to flush solid waste.
Saving Water in the Laundry Room
The best way to cut back on water usage in the laundry room is to be mindful of each load of laundry. Always use the smallest-sized load to clean the number of clothes you added effectively. If your washer does not offer different load sizes, don't run the washing machine until you have a full load. Additionally, skipping the extra rinse cycle is recommended unless you have a specific need for it.
Water Conservation at Your Liv Community
The proprietors of your Liv community are committed to being environmentally friendly and having as little an impact on the surrounding ecosystems as possible. They have thought about how to survive drought conditions and come up with solutions. They have developed an effective drought plan that includes planting environmentally appropriate grass and plants to reduce the need for watering while still providing you with pleasant surroundings.
Your Liv community also adheres to rigid, regularly scheduled, and emergency maintenance guidelines so that no running toilet, leaking pipe, or dripping faucet goes unrepaired. In fact, one of the many advantages of living here is there is no need for you to tackle home maintenance chores yourself. Simply make a call or send an email request and the problem will be solved for you.
To find out more about how to survive drought conditions in your Liv community home or to learn more about our commitment to being an environmentally friendly living space, contact us today.
