In California the weather is very unpredictable. One year can be a very wet year where there seems to be almost constant rainfall and overfilling of reservoirs, while the next year the whole state is in a massive drought and all the lakes are dry and empty. This cycle is sometimes referred to as El Nino (increased rainfall) and La Nina (drought season). During this drought season water scarcity can be a big issue, so practicing water conservation can benefit you in several ways. By practicing water conservation you can save money, help the environment, and make due with how much water you have no matter what weather cycle is occurring. 

Here’s some water conservation tips that may just take your interest.

1. Bucket method

When getting into the shower many people like to wait for the water to get to a temperature that’s bearable. During this time lots of fresh water is just pouring down the drain when lots of it could be used for something else. To solve this you could put a 5 gallon bucket underneath the faucet as it’s warming up, then push the bucket aside when you get into the shower. This water can easily be used to water your yard or plants thus putting it to use. 

1. Ice cubes

Sometimes getting ice cubes for a drink, ice cubes can fall. First instinct is to push it under the fridge or throw it into the sink but even this small ice cube could help conserve water. Instead of wasting that fresh water you could put it into a pot with a plant and it will slowly water your plant. Both easy and helps the environment. 

1. Full Load

When doing the laundry or doing the dishes you may be tempted to start the machine just to get some fresh dishes or clothes. But it can be just as easy to stuff those machines full of dirty clothes and dishes, otherwise all that water being used may not be being used to its fullest potential. Thus doing a full load can provide good use to all that water and ultimately save you money.

1. If it’s yellow let it mellow if it’s brown flush it down

Toilet water can be a huge water waste in everyone’s household and many argue it’s the biggest contributor to water waste. So a way to lessen that waste would be to flush less. An easy way to do this is that if there’s urine in the toilet leave it be for a couple uses, but if its feces you can flush it right away. This may seem gross at first glance but just keep an open mind when trying it out.

1. Limit Irrigation

Irrigation of a person’s yard can cause lots of water waste, mostly because of over watering. I’m not asking for you to get rid of your green lawn but there are some simple ways to save water and not sacrifice your beautiful yard. One easy tip is to make sure all of your sprinklers are pointing towards plants that need watering, if the water is getting onto any ground that doesn’t need watering that water is being wasted. Another easy way is to use drip irrigation for watering plants, drip irrigation alongside hand watering is one of the best ways to conserve watering during irrigation. And the easiest one of all is to not water your lawn on rainy days. This may sound obvious but many people have their sprinklers on timers which can end up watering the grass when it doesn’t need to be watered. So just keep that in mind the next time it’s raining. 

Water conservation isn’t hard, it just needs a little bit of effort to put it. Once water conservation methods are practiced regularly then it overall becomes easier. Keep at it and you won’t have to worry about water waste and save some money while you’re at it.