Cutting back water during the drought | Sumner
Published 3:31 pm Monday, July 6, 2015
The record hot, dry June and continued dry weather into July has increased our water demand. The water supply is normal, but all our pumps are going non-stop to keep up with high demand, leaving us no cushion capacity if a well unexpectedly goes out of service or an urgent, unpredictable need arises, like a large fire. We all need to start taking some more active steps to make sure we have the capacity to deal with emergencies through the rest of this summer:
City: We’re cutting back our water use by about 50%, letting less used areas of parks go brown. We’re making choices about where we need water and where we can do without.
Industrial/Businesses: We’re reaching out to the large property owners, asking them to cut back on landscape irrigation just like we are. If you’re a local business, please encourage your landlord that you’re fine with a drier look to help save water.
Residential: Like the City, please find trade-offs to cut your own watering by about 50%. For many, that means letting grass go brown to save flowers and shrubs. If you really can’t do that, please try watering your lawn no more than every-other day. Here are a few more small things you can do to add up and help get your own household to a 50% reduction:
- Always water everything at night. Watering while the sun is up just loses a significant portion of the water to evaporation, leaving your plants still thirsty.
- Take short showers instead of baths.
- Recycle water from things like dog bowls, kiddie pools and baths (if you must) to water plants.
- Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
- Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when you have full loads.
- Sweep driveways and sidewalks instead of spraying them down.
