Reduce Your Water Consumption
According to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, most homeowners use more water outdoors than indoors over the course of the year. This may surprise you, but inefficient water use like overwater lawns or leaving a garden hose running can spike water usage (and water bills). Remember that in the city of Ottawa, you are not just charged for the water but you must pay sewerage fees as well, regardless of whether the water goes on the lawn or down the drain. Environmental concerns coupled with economic concerns make water conservation a major priority.
Fortunately, you can still maintain a lush green lawn all summer long – and conserve water at the same time – with these tips.
Watering Right
Evaporation is a major cause of water loss. Water your lawn in the early morning or late evening to reduce water loss in the hot summer sun. Likewise, avoid watering on windy days. Sprinklers are a very inefficient way to water your lawn. Consider investing in a drip irrigation system, or hand-water your lawn. If you do hand-water, use a pistol grip nozzle to control water flow. You don’t want the hose running while a neighbour stops by to chat or you have to run inside to answer a call. These tactics can halve your water use. When it comes to gardening, focus on deeper but less frequent watering.
Sprinkling Right
If you do have use sprinklers, adjust them so that they are watering your lawn and nothing else. The sprinkler should not be spraying the sidewalk or driveway. Turn off your sprinklers when rain is in the forecast. Even better, you can add rain/moisture sensors to an automatic sprinkler system so the system does not activate under wet/humid conditions.
Mowing Right
Longer grass blades reduce water evaporation. Raise your lawn mower blade height to about three inches. As an added bonus, longer grass blades promote deeper roots, so it’s a win-win scenario if you want a lush green lawn.
Inspecting Right
Make sure your entire water system is in peak condition. Check the faucet and hose for leaks. Make sure sprinklers and drip irrigation systems are working correctly. Make sure that the timer and sensors are operating properly.
Collecting Right
Use a rain barrel to collect rainwater and reduce your city water usage. Generally, homeowners place a rain barrel near a downspout to collect rainwater that drains from the gutters and downspouts. The collected rainwater can then be used on the lawn via a garden hose, or drained into a watering can to water plants and flowers. Rain barrels are about $50-$200 in stores depending on the volume, material, durability etc. You can purchase accessories like a stand, pump, and linking kit to make a rain barrel even easier to use. You can also make a rain bucket yourself for under $20 with some materials from your local home improvement store.
Water conservation is very important to Hansen. These easy steps ensure you get the lawn you deserve while reducing water usage. Just like we believe every homeowner deserves a beautifully landscaped lawn delivered with exceptional service, the planet deserves our care.