Water Conservation Tips

Think it’s impossible to save water during the hot summer months? Try these easy conservation tips:

• Read your latest utility bill and note how many gallons you have consumed. Multiply that number by .10 to determine how much you should reduce your use next month.

• Repair broken or missing sprinkler heads, a main cause of wasteful water runoff. Operate your sprinkler system manually, so you water only when your landscape needs it.

• Raise your lawnmower blade to a height of at least 3 inches so your grass will grow taller, its roots will grow deeper and your lawn will be healthier.

• Choose “water-wise” plants like Texas Sage, Winecups and Red Yucca. Experts also recommend that you use 3 inches of mulch in your beds to prevent evaporation and keep soil moist.

• When you water during the heat of the day, most of the water is lost to evaporation, so water early or late and save 25 gallons a day.

• Address and fix leaks. Wasting water can lead to over-tapping or over-extending of Montgomery County’s water supply — the Gulf Coast Aquifer.

• Groundwater is the water found below the land surface. It flows to the surface naturally in springs or seeps, or can be tapped artificially by digging wells. When too much water is taken from the aquifer, subsidence, or sinking of the ground, can occur. Subsidence can also make areas more susceptible to flooding.

• Check your toilet tank for leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear within 30 minutes. Fixing a toilet leak can save up to 1,000 gallons a month. Don’t forget to flush right after the test to keep from having a permanently purple toilet bowl.

• Washing dishes in the sink uses more water than a full dishwasher. If you have to do it, use a bowl of water or a stopper in the sink instead of leaving the faucet running.

• Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. That’s another potential 1,000 gallons a month in savings.

Want to learn more about water conservation? You can test your Water IQ at the Red, Hot & Blue Festival this Saturday, July 4. As part of a water conservation outreach tour, the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District will have a Water IQ booth at the festival.

“[The program] is an informational campaign designed to educate Texas residents on how much water is used inside and outside the home,” Marjie Risk, the Education Public Awareness Coordinator of the Lone Star GCD, said.

The campaign’s message is “Every Day is a Chance to Save.” Visit the booth to learn water-saving tips, play the new Water IQ board game and take the quiz.

“We want [visitors] to guess how much water used in [their everyday] practices and take a water conservation pledge,” Risk said. By doing so, they hope people learn more about the importance of preserving the Gulf Coast Aquifer.

Those with high Water IQ scores will receive Water IQ water bottles. Visitors can be entered into a drawing to win a Water IQ Home Makeover prize valued at more than $200. They hope Red, Hot & Blue visitors will take some time to learn ways to contribute to water conservation efforts.

“We will provide conservation tips for everyday water-saving,” Risk said. “Every homeowner can do it.”