California drought persists. Conserve water now with these tips

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, drought can put the economy, environment and people’s health and safety at risk.

People can start implementing water conservation methods into their daily lives by following these tips from water and drought experts:

Check your current water usage

The California Department of Water Resources recommends that residents calculate how much water they are using at home using the U.S. Geological Survey calculator. They said this serves as a starting point to indicate where you can save water.

Ryan Bailey, water use efficiency branch manager at the DWR, said you can check with your local suppliers to see if they offer landscape water use assessments.

“Residents should check their water bill to identify their water supplier or reach out to the local municipal government for an official list of water suppliers in their area,” the DWR said.

Be mindful of water usage at home

According to the USGS, each person uses, on average, about 80 to 100 gallons of water per day in their homes. This includes water usage from flushing toilets and taking showers and baths.

To reduce the use of water at home, Lund, with UC Davis, said it would be helpful to take shorter showers.

You should also turn off faucets when you’re not using them and only run dishwashers when they are full, said Doug Parker, director of the California Institute for Water Resources at the University of California.

Previous methods that Sacramento County Water Agency customers implemented that helped reduce water usage by up to 34% in 2013 to 2016 include having a watering schedule, installing drought-tolerant landscaping and fixing leaking faucets.

If you have decorative water features outside your home, the DWR advises that you reduce or eliminate their use to prevent water loss from evaporation. Or you can invest in systems that utilize recycled water.

Reduce watering your lawn

Lund said the single biggest action to take when conserving water is to reduce lawn irrigation.

When you do need to water your lawn or outdoor plants, he advised that you do so in the evening. This way, more of that water being used on the lawn or yard goes into the soil and will be less likely to evaporate from the surface.

Bailey, with DWR, also recommended that people keep outdoor temperatures in mind. If it’s raining or hot outside, then turn off your irrigation, he said.

Install water efficient appliances

Parker, with the institute for water resources, recommends using water-efficient appliances, such as low flow toilets, shower heads and dishwashers.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, appliances that have a “WaterSense” label are “20 percent more water efficient than average products in that category.”

You can find WaterSense products, such as toilets, irrigation controllers and sinks, and their price points here.

Energy Star certified products also meet EPA standards and can help you save water and energy.

Recycle your water

There are a few ways you can recycle water at home.

For example, Bailey said if water from your shower takes a while to heat up, you can use a bucket to catch the cold water and then use it to irrigate your lawn.

Lund said you can also capture the water you use in your shower and use it for lawns, too.

You can recycle rain water to clean your porch or deck, to garden or to fill up water features in your yard, such as ponds and fountains.

Save Our Water, which is a water conservation program created by the DWR and the Association of California Water Agencies, has a few tips on how to effectively harvest rain water.

Parker added that conserving potable water, which is water that’s been treated for consumption, also means saving energy.

“To me it’s prudent to try to reduce even your urban water use right now because there’s a good chance that next year’s going to be dry as well,” Lund said.

This story was originally published November 1, 2021 at 1:37 PM with the headline "California drought persists. Conserve water now with these tips."