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 Tips to Saving Water Outside
Follow these water conservation tips so you can lower your bill and preserve this valuable resource.
Outside Your Home:
- Water your lawn and garden before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on your appointed watering day only to avoid excess evaporation from the sun. A Southwest Florida Water Management District Water Shortage Order prohibits sprinkling between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Irrigate with about 3/4 inch of water. Less water means a shallow root system and little drought tolerance for your plants and grass. Too much water can drive nutrients and pesticides into the underground aquifer from which most of our drinking water is supplied.
- Never water on windy, rainy
or very hot days.
- Mulch keeps over 70% of
water from evaporating.
- Lawns will only require
watering once every 10-14 days in the dry - Nov. to May
season. A hearty rain can eliminate the need to water
for as long as two weeks.
- Raise your mower blade to
a height of at least 3 inches. Taller blades of grass
have deeper roots, and retain water better.
- Plant more shrubs and less
grass. Shrubs and ground cover require less maintenance
and less water and provide year-round greenery.
- Water plants using a slow
trickle around the roots.
- Apply mulch around plants
to reduce evaporation, promote plant growth and control
weeds.
- Install a shut-off nozzle
on your hose.
- Wash your car by wetting
it quickly, turn off the spray, then wash it with soapy
water from a bucket. Rinse quickly.
- Never use a hose to clean
dirt off pavement. Use a broom.
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