Water Conservation
The El Paso Water Company encourages residents to conserve water wherever and however possible. Listed below are a number of tips for you to consider both inside and outside your home:
In the bathroom:
- Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving. Save 4-10 gallons per day.
- Don't use your toilet as a wastebasket for cigarette butts, medicine, facial tissue or anything else. Save 3-7 gallons per flush.
- Take shorter showers - five minutes will get you clean. Save 3-7 gallons per shower.
- Close your tub drain before turning on the water. Save 3 gallons or more.
- Fill your bathtub only halfway. Save 5 gallons or more. Save in hot water costs as well.
- Replace regular shower heads with low-flow shower heads or flow restrictors. Save more than 2 gallons per minute.
- Install a low-flow toilet that uses only 1.6 gallons per flush compared to 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush with an older toilet.
- Fix leaky pipes or faucets. Save 20 gallons per day.
- Use dye tablets or food coloring once a year to check for toilet leaks. Remove the toilet tank cover and put 10 drops of food coloring into the tank. Wait 15 minutes and check for color in the toilet bowl. If you see any color, it indicates you have a leak.
In the kitchen and laundry room:
- Fill your sink and basin when washing and rinsing dishes. Save 8-15 gallons per day. Save in hot water costs as well.
- Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when full.
- Wash vegetables and fruit in a basin. Use a vegetable brush to remove dirt. Save 2-4 gallons per day.
- Run your garbage disposal only when necessary. Save 2-7 gallons per minute.
In the garden and yard:
- Water during the cooler parts of the day to cut down on evaporation. Early in the morning is the best time.
- Add compost to your soil to improve its water-holding capacity. Mulch, which can be made from readily available wood chips or leaf mold, acts as a blanket to keep in moisture and help prevent soil erosion, soil compression and weeds.
- Check for and repair leaky hose connections and sprinkler valves. Small leaks can add up to big losses.
- Ask your nursery professional about low-water-using turf and raise your lawnmower cutting height. Longer grass blades help shade each other and cut down on evaporation.
- Water trees and shrubs, which have deep root systems, longer and less frequently than shallow-rooted plants, which require smaller amounts of water less often.
- Porous paving materials (brick, decomposed granite, gravel) used in patios and walkways help keep water in the garden rather than in the gutter.
- Timing devices allow efficient watering on a schedule suited to each area of the landscape. Installing a rain sensor will prevent watering when it's not necessary. (For more information on rain sensor, click here.)
- Using a drip irrigation system applies water slowly, reducing run-off and promoting deep rooting.
- Always remember the one-inch rule: Don't overwater! Established lawns and shrubs and most vegetables and flowers just need one inch of water a week. If there has been an inch of rainfall, you don't need to water at all.
To determine if one inch of rain has fallen, collect rainfall or sprinkler water in a container, such as a coffee can, then measure with a ruler.
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