Using water outdoors is always challenging. Ensuring that your landscape is healthy and vibrant can be tricky while trying to use water as efficiently as possible. Please review the information below to learn new ideas about saving water outdoors.

Click here for the current watering schedule.

Water Efficient Car Washing Practices

1. Washing your car at home can use a significant amount of water. Without a hose nozzle, a running garden hose can waste up to 9 gallons of water per minute!

2. Under SSWD's Current Water Use Restrictions, "Car washing is only permitted using a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle and a bucket.

3. Consider taking your car to a commercial car wash that utilizes the latest technology to recycle water onsite, and use very little new water to wash cars.

Water Efficient Landscape Practices

1. Water landscaping and plants only when necessary. Do not over-water.

2. During rainy weather, turn off your sprinkler timer. Adjust your sprinkler timers seasonally to water with the weather.

3. Install rain shut off devices to prevent watering when it rains. Rebates are available on our Water Conservation Rebates page.

4. Different soils absorb and hold water at different rates. Learn your landscapes soil type and avoid runoff and over watering by setting automatic sprinklers shut off once the soil is saturated. If your lawn requires more water, set your timer to run more often with shorter run times. This type of cycle-and-soak method of watering will help avoid water waste like gutter flooding. With manual sprinklers, set a timer to help you remember when to turn off the water.

5. If your landscape has a large slope, consider the cycle-and-soak method of watering.

6. Dethatch and/or aerate compacted soils in your lawn so that applied water penetrates deep into the root zone. After aerating, remember to apply a think layer of compost to fill in the holes. Compost will add nutrients to your soil that will make your landscape plants more healthy.

7. Save 30 gallons of water per 1,000 square feet by installing compost or mulch to prevent runoff and to retain moisture in around plants, in flowerbeds, around trees, and/or any non-turf landscaped areas. Mulch will also help slow the evaporation rate of water from the soil.

8. Save more than 40 gallons of water every time you water by making sure sprinklers cover the landscaped areas without spraying onto paved areas or running water onto paved areas or gutters. This will also prevent fertilizers and other unwanted contaminates into the storm drain.

9. Avoid watering on windy days. Water will drift from the intended watering area. Water also evaporates faster and is often blown onto paved areas.

10. Save up to 50 gallons each time you water by watering during the cool parts of the morning which will help prevent water loss and evaporation.

11. During summer months set the mower blade to three inches. Taller grass will shade the soil allowing for more moisture retention and can save up to 50 gallons of water per day.

12. Use a shutoff nozzle on your garden hose. Customers can pick up a nozzle at SSWD's administrative office.

13. Use a broom instead of water to clean driveways, walkways or patios. This helps keep pollutants such as grease, oils and pesticides that accumulates on driveways from running off into creeks and rivers.

14. Visit a local water efficient landscape garden for ideas on plants that require less water or are drought tolerant. Discover plants that grow best and thrive in our community.

15. Repair leaks and broken sprinkler heads.

16. Quickly repairing leaks can save 20 gallons per day, per leak.   

17. Save 90 gallons per day per 1,000 square feet by planting low-water use trees and plants.

18. Save 15 gallons per 500 square feet of landscape by installing a water-efficient drip irrigation system for your trees, shrubs and flowers.

19. Save 80 gallons per day by reducing each irrigation cycle by two minutes (five stations, watering three times weekly) or eliminate one cycle per week.

20. Save about 13,500 gallons per year by Installing a Water-Sense labeled, "Smart" irrigation controller that adjusts watering based upon weather, soil type, sun exposure (for example, full sun or part shade) and plant type.

21. Save 2,300 gallons by replacing older sprinklers with high-efficiency nozzles.

22. Save 20 gallons per day by inspecting your irrigation system monthly to locate and repair damaged sprinkler heads and drip emitters.