Water Conservation Best Practices for Residents & Businesses
Top Tips for Residents & Businesses
- Mulch, mulch, mulch! Mulch helps to retain moisture in the soil and helps keep weeds down too. Organic mulches also improve the soil as mulch breaks down, which is an added bonus.
- Irrigation - check for leaks and overwatering every month if possible and fix them. Reset your timers at least every three months - when the weather changes, it’s time to adjust the sprinklers. Also, it’s best to water late at night, or early in the morning when it’s cool; you won’t lose any water to evaporation or wind.
- Replace that water-thirsty lawn with plants that are better suited to our Mediterranean climate. (Check with Dublin’s Water Agency, Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) for rebates before you take out the current lawn!)
- Sweep, don’t hose your patio and sidewalks.
- Check out "Ten Tips for Water-Wise Gardening" from Our Water-Our World
- Install faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads.
- Fix Leaks - faucets and toilets that leak can use lots of wasted water.
- Replace old toilets (especially pre-1994) with a new toilet that uses 1.28 gallons per flush or less. Check out new State Law that requires existing single-family residential properties built on or before January 1, 1994, to replace non-compliant plumbing fixtures with water-conserving fixtures.
- When it’s time to replace your old washing machine, buy a front-load washer - it will use about half the water of your old top-loading washer, and use less energy. Rebates from Zone 7 and PG&E are available at Your Local Water Agency.
- Replace your old dishwasher with an Energy-Star rated dishwasher - it will use less energy and less water. Good for you and good for the planet.
- Keep a bucket in the shower and capture the water as you heat it up. You can use it to water plants, or if you leave the bucket in while showering and it gets soapy, use it to flush your toilet (pour it directly in the bowl).
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and washing your hands. Turn it back on to rinse.
- Collect water in the kitchen - from cooking veggies, potatoes, and pasta; that “waste” water actually contains nutrients that plants love - but please, no salt in the water, and cool the water before serving to your plants.