We have been fortunate this summer with rain; something not always the case for this area. In fact many of us can easily recall rock hard ground and soaring temps as the late July into early August norm. With those conditions in mind, let me offer a few easy tips for reducing you water usage inside and out of the home.
- Use low flow shower heads, faucets, and toilets in your home.
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or lathering your hands.
- If you run a dehumidifier, reuse the water it produces (I use it in my washing machine or for watering the plants).
- Install rain barrels on your downspouts – you can use the water collected to water your garden, moisten your compost pile, provide drinking water for pets or farm animals, etc.
- Collect condensate from your air conditioner or geothermal system – often these types of condensers produce significant amounts of condensate during the course of operation; you can capture this water fairly easily (I have mine draining directly into my rain barrel system).
- Plant drought resistant grass; avoid the urge to water your lawn; or consider other less maintenance intensive ground cover.
