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Responding to Drought

Outdoor Conservation Tips

provided by Conserve Water Georgia

Avoid added plant stress

1. Don’t fertilize if you can’t water it in.  Fertilizer does little good unless it dissolves and enters the soil solution.
2. Avoid any sort of soil disturbance that injures roots and reduces their moisture uptake.
3. Avoid adding fill dirt over plant roots because roots need to breathe.
4. Mow grass higher than normal to avoid stressing it.

Reduce Demand for Water

1. Cut back plants that wilt or show die back to reduce their need for water from the roots.
2. Many annuals and perennials can be cut back close to ground level during drought, and then will bounce back when rain begins.

Use other water sources

1. Collect the water that drips from your air conditioning unit.
2. Collect rainwater in rain barrels at the bottom of your roof downspouts.

Note: Water from kitchen sinks and dishwashers, bathtubs, showers and lavatories, and the household laundry are NOT allowed for reuse under plumbing and health codes.

Prioritize plants

1. High value/must save – Give priority to valuable specimen trees or shrubs that would be impossible to replace.
2. Moderate value/try to save - perennials, newly planted trees, shrubs and groundcovers.
3. Low value/save if possible – annuals and turf grasses (these can be replaced and some turf grasses will bounce back successfully from a complete dry out.)

Mulch

1. Cover the entire area under the plant from the trunk to the ends of the branches. This keeps the soil cool, combats weeds, conserves water,  and creates more visual appeal than trying to grow grass in the area.
2. Good mulches to use are pine straw, pine bark mini-nuggets, bark chips or shredded hardwood mulch. Avoid using rock, gravel or marble in sunny areas because they absorb and radiate heat and increase moisture loss.
3. Enhance your mulch, by placing two to three sheets of saturated newspaper underneath it. This will help the soil retain moisture.

Plants need no more than 1 inch of water every 7 to 10 days to stay healthy. Try these five to help them thrive!

• Water only once a week. When it hasn’t rained, a deep soaking every week will provide your plants with plenty of moisture.
• Soak don’t sprinkle. When you water, aim the nozzle at the base of plants so more water will reach the roots.
• Don’t water in the heat of the day. You will only lose water to evaporation. If you have an automatic system, set it to come on in the early morning hours between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m.
• Turn off the sprinkler when it rains. Install an inexpensive rain sensor shut-off switch.
• Mulch! Using pine straw, bark chips or ground hardwood mulch on the roots of plants and trees helps the soil retain water.

For more information, visit www.conservewatergeorgia.net

 

Indoor Conservation Tips

Tips to Conserve Water in and Around your Home provided by the American Red Cross

Indoor Use

General

• Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it. Use it to water your indoor plants or garden.
• Make sure your home is leak-free. When you are certain that no water is being used in your home, take a reading of the water meter. Wait 30 minutes and then take a second reading. If the meter reading changes, you have a leak!
• Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. One drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons of water per year!

Bathroom

• Check for toilet leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If you have a leak, the color will appear in the bowl within 30 minutes. (Flush immediately to avoid stains.)
• If the toilet handle frequently sticks in the flush position letting water run constantly, replace or adjust it.
• Leaky toilets usually can be fixed inexpensively by replacing the flapper.
• Install a toilet displacement device to cut down on the amount of water needed for each flush. (Contrary to popular opinion a brick should not be used because it can dissolve and the loose pieces can cause damage to the internal parts. Instead, place a one-gallon plastic jug of water into the tank to displace toilet flow or purchase a device available at most hardware and home centers designed for this purpose.) Be sure installation does not interfere with the operating parts.
• Consider purchasing a low-volume toilet that uses less than half the water of older models. NOTE: In many areas, low-volume units are required by law.
• Take shorter showers.
• Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version.
• Place a bucket in the shower to catch excess water for watering plants.
• In the shower, turn the water on to get wet; turn off to lather up; then turn the water back on to rinse. Repeat when washing your hair.
• Don't let the water run while brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving.
• Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects, and other similar waste in the trash rather than the toilet.

Kitchen

• Operate automatic dishwashers only when they are fully loaded. Use the "light wash" feature if available to use less water.
• When hand washing dishes, save water by filling two containers - one with soapy water and the other with rinse water containing a small amount of chlorine bleach.
• Most dishwashers can clean soiled dishes very well, so dishes do not have to be rinsed before washing. Just remove large particles of food, and put the soiled dishes in the dishwasher.
• Store drinking water in the refrigerator. Don't let the tap run while you are waiting for water to cool.
• Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator, or use the defrost setting on your microwave.
• Do not waste water waiting for it to get hot. Capture it for other uses such as plant watering or heat it on the stove or in a microwave.
• Clean vegetables in a pan filled with water rather than running water from the tap. Re-use the water that vegetables are washed in for cleaning or watering plants.
• Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing of food waste, or simply dispose of food in the garbage.

Laundry

• Operate automatic clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or set the water level for the size of your load.