From drinking water permitted to be served at restaurants only when the patron requests it, to a specific irrigation schedule with associated fines for overuse, businesses and homeowners have felt the progressive squeezing effects of the long-standing California drought. Californians have undoubtedly made collective strides toward water conservation through outdoor irrigation, within their home and in personal habit modifications. However, each of us has the potential to continue our efforts and conserve more! For example, by setting a five-minute timer before jumping in the shower an estimated 1,000 gallons a month can be saved! By turning the faucet water off while brushing those pearly whites about 4 gallons a minute won’t make it down the drain! Now that’s something doable and worthy of smiling about!
Thinking about selling your home? Making some modifications to your home and property may also assist in your home sale, too. Some conscientious buyers may be more inclined to purchase a home that has already taken action to conserve indoor water consumption and/or outdoor irrigation. Installing inexpensive, low-flow shower-heads and faucet aerators is an excellent and simple start to indoor water savings. To take it a step further, purchasing a new water efficient washing machine with a water factor of 6 or lower and installing new, low-flow toilets that use 1.28 gallons or less per flush will demonstrate your home’s water efficiency. Buyers will like the sound of those water savings! Speaking of sounds, have you checked your faucets for leaks lately? Diligent leaky faucet fixes will keep your cupboards dry, mold-free and one less potential item to check off of a repairs list prior to closing escrow. Not to mention, remedied leaks can save as much as 140 gallons of water a week! A bit of prevention is worth some savings impact for our state’s water reserves and your utility bill.
It’s likely you’ve already considered how to best cut down on your water consumption in regards to your outdoor irrigation and taken the necessary steps. Kudos! If you’ve been on the fence and would like to convert your live turf to desert-scape or replace it with artificial turf, you may be able to qualify for turf removal rebates. To review the qualifications and apply for outdoor water conservation rebates visit CVWD-Rebates.Droplet.US. Also, be sure to communicate with the Lifestyle Enhancement Committee and follow your Home Owners Associations’ procedure before commencing with any landscape design plans.
How are you responding in other suggested ways, and in the instances below, to CVWD’s restrictions on water usage?
Do you know that:
- Applying water to driveways, patios and paved surfaces is prohibited. Using a broom is a great alternative to getting those surfaces clean, not to mention it provides a great workout!
- CVWD wants Indio residents to refrain from washing vehicles and windows with a hose. If you use a hose with a shutoff nozzle or use a bucket, you’re permitted to clean those items.
- CVWD does not permit water features or fountains to be operated. When using a recirculating pump these features may be utilized.
Doing all you can both indoors and out to personally reduce your consumption? Great work! There’s likely still more to be done if you keep your eyes peeled. For instance, a neighbor who has a broken sprinkler head may be unaware of it and may be out of town for a few days or longer. If you haven’t exchanged telephone numbers, what do you do now? Do the neighborly deed and get it fixed for them or notify their landscape maintenance company. This is a team effort! Or maybe you see a consistent puddle of water in the median planter on the way to your favorite local coffee shop and, wanting to help stop the waste, you wonder who to call. Call CVWD at 1-(888)-398-5008 to report water waste like this and other instances where you may not know who to contact to rectify the issue. If you’d prefer to go online, CVWD also accepts reports of water waste on their website at CVWD.org. Click on the “Report Water Waste” icon and fill out the form. If you’d like to attach media such as a photo or video clip of the problem, you can do that as well. Reporting water waste due to inefficient irrigation, excessive watering, or a leak could seem like an antagonistic approach, but, when done in the right spirit, you’ll be aiding conservation efforts. Need help to identify how to make your property more water efficient? There is a free workshop on April 13, 2016 called Converting Turf to Desert-Friendly Plants and Irrigation from 5:30-7 PM at the Steve Robbins Administration Building, 75515 Hovley Lane East, Palm Desert. For more information call (760) 398-2651, or visit CVWD.org for more free workshops. Too seek out additional water conservation ideas and 100 tips to save water, visit WaterUseItWisely.com.
