Here are a few tips and reminders for ways you can save water:
Around the house
• Operate dishwashers and washing machines only
when they’re completely full.
• Repair dripping faucets, as one drop per second
wastes 2,700 gallons per year.
• Rather than using running water to defrost meat,
place it in the refrigerator overnight or defrost it
in the microwave.
• When showering, place a bucket nearby to catch
excess water for use on your houseplants.
• If your toilet’s handle sticks in the flush position,
letting water constantly run, replace or adjust it.
• Make sure your home is leak-free by checking
the water meter when no water is in use; if the
meter registers changes, you have a leak. If you
have a well and the pumps kicks on periodically
when not in use, you have a leak.
• Consider retrofitting household faucets
with aerators and flow restrictors to curtail
excessive use.
Around the yard
• Make sure your water nozzles have rubber
washers in place to prevent leaks. An unattended
garden hose without a nozzle can pour out 600
gallons or more in a few hours’ time.
• Fertilizing increases water demands, so do so
sparingly and only use fertilizers that contain
slow-release, waster-insoluble nitrogen.
• Use a rain gauge to get a better measuring of
how much water your lawn is getting. Even
during summer, watering more than twice a
week is over-watering.
• Mulch the flower beds in your yard; besides
adding overall attractiveness, they retain
moisture in the soil.
• Cultivate native plants, as they require less
water and fertilizer and hold up well during the
dry season.
• Consider installing micro and drip irrigation
devices or using soaker hoses, as these are
among the most water-efficient irrigation means.
The South Florida Water Management District
works year ’round to protect and preserve our
water supply. But it’s your efforts that really
make a difference.
When we all save a little, we all end up saving a lot.
T u r n i n g t h e t i d e , t o g e t h e r .
To learn about more ways you can help save water, log on to www.sfwmd.gov.
/www.sfwmd.gov