Saving Water Outside the Home

most of the water used outside the home in pennsylvania occurs during the summer months on average it accounts for about six percent of the total water used for households in a year water used outside eventually evaporates since it does not enter a drain it never goes into a wastewater treatment system this saves on treatment costs but also means the water is consumed and not available to replenish our surface because most water used outdoors is evaporated and lost steps to reduce water use outdoors are irrigation is the major source of outdoor water use especially during dry spells the use of drip irrigation or soaker hoses instead of sprinklers or watering cans will dramatically reduce the amount of water you use for outdoor watering installing a drip irrigation hose beneath mulch increases its effectiveness even more by reducing evaporation the combination of trickle irrigation and mulch lowers the need for irrigation water by 10 to 25 percent planting drought tolerant and native landscape plants is another method to reduce outdoor water demands drought tolerant landscapes are often referred to as xeriscapes because the plants have adapted to survive during dry conditions most plants that are native to pennsylvania are able to withstand prolonged dry spells without watering avoid landscape plants and flowers that are not native to pennsylvania and require moist soil conditions for growth this will not only save water but also save the time and expense needed to install and operate outdoor irrigation systems more and more pennsylvania homes have outdoor swimming pools when left uncovered pools can lose hundreds of gallons of water to evaporation each week pool covers and newer pool additives can be used to reduce evaporation and have the added benefit of increasing solar heating of the pool water you should also consider adding a skimmer cover and plug when you close your pool for the winter these devices maintain the water level over the winter and eliminate the there are also devices that allow homeowners to better capture and utilize rain falling on their property for outside water needs summer thunderstorms tend to be scattered and too heavy to adequately moisten garden soil excess water that flows off roofs and into gutters is often wasted as it runs off quickly in the storm sewers instead roof water can be stored in rain barrels for watering small garden areas later a one inch rain on a 10 foot by 10 foot roof will supply 62 gallons of water enough water to irrigate a typical changes to water use habits can also save large amounts of water outside the home for example instead of using a hose fed brush for car washing try using a sponge begin by washing the car then rinse using a spray rather than a stream doing this in the shade is better for the car and conserves water by reducing evaporation beyond using drip or soaker hoses for irrigation you should also consider doing your outside watering early in the morning this will greatly reduce the amount of water that evaporates while you're watering finally minimize your use of water for cleaning outside surfaces instead use a broom or a blower as much as possible to remove dirt and leaves from sidewalks implementing the strategies we have demonstrated will help reduce the loss of water to evaporation as you use water outside the home you also better utilize rain falling on your roofs for outdoor watering and chores rather than using valuable drinking water in the end you also save money by you