7 Easy and Simple Ways to Save Water

School is done and everyone is home for the summer. If you are like many other households, then the more people and time spent at home during the day in the summer months leads to more money being spent on the water bill. This combined with areas of our country that experience frequent and prolonged droughts makes us reflect on our own water usage. Check out these simple tips to help your family conserve more water in the summer.

Seven Easy and Simple Ways to Save Water and money during summer

Get a rain barrel Attempting to keep a green lawn and healthy plants in Locust Grove, VA in July is a challenging feat. Before you break out the sprinklers consider investing in a rain barrel. Starting at about one hundred dollars, rain barrels connect to the downspout of your gutter system and collect the rain that falls on your home. You can use this water to water ornamental plants and with an electronic pump your yard.
Let your dishwasher do the work Many people rinse off their dishes before they load them in the dishwasher. While this might come from an experience of having a poorly functioning dishwasher or just a habit formed over time, the best way to save water is to let the dishwasher do all the work. You should still use a fork to scrap all of the food off the plates and bowls before you load them. An added water saver tip is to only run the dishwasher when it is full.
Look for Leaks Have you walked past your bathroom and heard the toilet run for a couple seconds? It doesn’t seem like much, but if the toilet is doing that numerous times a day that little bit of water will add up. To see if your toilet needs repair, put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and see if the colored water appears in the bowl. If it does, them it is time to replace the fill mechanism or rubber flap.
Time your Watering Try watering plants, vegetables, or your lawn in the early morning or evening. Since the strong sun will cause water to evaporate faster in the summer, watering in the mornings or evenings gives the plants more time to soak in the water before it evaporates.
Check out community splash pads Every kid loves running through a sprinkler and would probably do so for hours on end, but when you are trying to conserve water this is not ideal. Look around for local community pool and splash pads that will let your children enjoy the water. Rockwater Park in Culpeper has a free splashpad open all summer long.
Replace faucets and appliances When it’s time for a new dishwasher or laundry machine, check out the energy star ratings to find one that will save water and cash in the long run. When your faucets start dripping, if it can’t be repaired, go ahead and replace it for a new one. You can also install a low flow shower head to save some water.
Use native plants Talk with the experts at your local gardening center to learn about plants that are native to central Virginia. These plants are suitable for our climate and won’t need as much watering as one that is not native. Try out plants that can survive drought conditions.