Especially in the Summertime - Every Drop Counts!

Summertime is when the weather turns hot. And that means every living thing, from people to animals to plants, will need more water. But at the same time the need increases, the supply of water will decrease, as rainfall is usually less in the summer. Put those two situations together, and water conservation becomes even more crucial during this time of year.

The Chester Water Authority (CWA) has put together the following water conservation tips to help you save water, thus ensuring an adequate supply for everyone and saving money for you at the same time.

• Use a broom or a grass blower, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.

• For cover decoration, try planting shrubs or a rock garden. Grass requires up to four times as much water as other plants.

• Water your flowers in the evenings or early mornings to reduce evaporation. Don’t water your lawn daily. Frequent light watering can actually damage grass since the underwatering causes the roots to grow up towards the surface, which weakens them. Water less often, but thoroughly.

• Choose climate friendly plants. Many native plants can survive on rainwater alone, and they’re more disease and insect resistant.

• Fill a covered pitcher with drinking water and place it in the refrigerator so you won’t need to run the tap for cool water. Change the water every day to keep it fresh.

• Wash your car using soap and water from a bucket. Use a hose with a shut-off nozzle for the final rinse only.

Water conservation has to happen all year long. Below are general conservation tips that you can use all the time to save water.

• Check for leaky faucets and toilets, and then repair them immediately. A leaky tap, dripping once per second, wastes six gallons of water a day.

• Wash only full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher.

• Don’t run water continuously when washing dishes by hand.

• Attach "low-flow" faucet aerators to faucets.

• Install "low-flow" showerheads and toilets.