Switch Off Your Garbage Disposal & Save Water

Water resources are precious in any desert. Here in the Sonoran Desert, water conservation is a way of life. Now is an especially important time of year to be mindful of how, and how much we use water; the early summer in the Sonoran Desert is particularly harsh with temperatures over 100 degrees and our summer rains are weeks away. WaterCASA offers the following strategies to save water and money through this driest of dry seasons.
1. REPAIR LEAKS Fixing a dripping faucet can save 140 gallons a week. Check toilets for silent leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the tank. If color shows up in the bowl, you have a leak to fix. Check drip irrigation systems for leaks too. A missing emitter or a hole in your tubing will cost you money down the line. Also, remove emitters where you no longer have plants.
2. WATER AT NIGHT or EARLY IN THE MORNING. Water when the sun is down to reduce evaporation and to lessen the chance of burning delicate leaves. A layer of mulch 2-3 inches deep will further reduce evaporation, moderate soil temperature, and reduce your need to water. 3. WATER SLOW AND DEEP. Encourage deep roots that can survive drought periods by watering slowly and deeply. Your plants just might surprise you at how resilient they can be during a drought when they have deep, established root systems. 4. GRAYWATER IS GREAT. Use the graywater from your showers, bathroom basins, and laundry to water your landscape. It’s high in nutrients and can reduce you need for using precious potable water year round, especially in the summer. 5. PRIORITIZE YOUR LANDSCAPE. If you follow the planting and irrigation strategies above, you probably won’t need to prioritize what trees and shrubs should receive water during very dry periods. But in the event you only want to use a certain amount of water outside, you can prioritize your landscape.
	Divide your landscape into three categories: 1) high value/must save such as mature trees and shrubs; 2) moderate value/try to save such as native and drought tolerant plants; 3) low value plants such as turf grass, which will go dormant and then come back, as well as annuals.

Survive Summer with Water Savings

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