Conserving Water: 
Late Winter and Early Spring Tips

It’s that time of year again: cold weather could strike at any time, and yet spring is just around the corner.  So let’s take a look at tips to help you save water and benefit your property during both seasons.

LATE WINTER FREEZE

1. Insulate pipes. Don’t wait until a pipe freezes and breaks. Save time and money by insulating, or checking insulation, right away.

2. Make sure utilities are in good working order. Properly functioning gas, electric, and water heaters can warm pipes, which will keep water running freely.

3. On severely cold nights, if you have lines that cannot be insulated, leave a faucet dripping––circulating or moving water won’t freeze in the meter or pipes.

4. Open cabinet doors below sinks located against an outside wall. Pipes are less likely to freeze if they are exposed to warm inside air.

5. Winterize outdoor lines.  Drain water lines to outdoor faucets and disconnect garden hoses from faucets to avoid freeze-ups.    

6. Locate the water shut-off valve.  Before a pipe breaks is the time to locate the shut-off valve and learn how to turn it off.

7. Educate your family. Make sure all family members, including children, know whom to call and how to locate the water shut-off valve in case of an emergency.

8. Prepare ahead for travel. Ask a friend to check your business or home while you’re away.

EARLY SPRING PLANTING

Here in Pennsylvania, you can reasonably expect to receive significant rainfall each year. Yet water usually becomes a scarce resource for a short time in July and August. With proper design, plant selection, and planting techniques, you can create a lovely landscape that, once established, relies mostly on rainwater. You should first visualize what you desire in your home environment and think about how to create that effect with a lot less water running down driveways and into gutters. 

The main principles of water-wise gardening are:

1. Follow the Land – by watching where rain runs after it falls into your yard. The contours of your yard can be changed to catch the rainwater and speed or slow its flow, holding it in the ground for use by plants. 

2. Care for the Soil – by adding compost or mulch. Compost helps the soil hold water and adds nutrients needed for plant growth. Mulches prevent the soil from overheating and drying out. Mulch also helps reduce weeds and slows erosion. Use two to four inches of mulch beneath plants and shrubs.

3. Water Wisely – by giving plants only as much water as they need.  Use efficient watering methods such as drip systems and soaker hoses that deliver the water closer to the roots of the plant. Many plants that are adapted to dry summers do not need much water a few years after planting. Your garden can be lush and attractive while requiring less water, which conserves our resources and saves you money.

4. Share Gardening Wisdom – by talking to neighbors and other people in your community about what they have planted and what does well in summertime conditions.

Other articles in this issue: Continuing the Tradition of Excellence: Capital Program 2000 and Beyond Working Together Means Better Water for All CWA Shares with Local Students Octoraro Reservoir: Preserving Our Ecology