New Resources Promote Water-Efficient Landscapes

Today’s blog is from our friends at the San Diego County Water Authority! Read on to learn more about the newest water-wise landscaping resources that are available!LogoColorVertPCbig

May is Water Awareness Month and studies have shown that large improvements are being made statewide to effectively conserve water and our reservoirs are slowly but surely making their way back to pre-drought levels. With that said, we all can do our part to conserve this precious and unpredictable resource.

When in Drought

Were you aware that more than half of a typical single-family household’s water use happens outdoors?

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To help improve our region’s outdoor water efficiency, the San Diego County Water Authority recently launched two new resources – an online video series that guides homeowners through the process of transforming their yards into water-efficient landscapes, and an EPA-approved training program for landscape professionals.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoOYQoB-n9s]The WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program’s Videos On Demand take the content of the Water Authority’s award-winning WaterSmart Landscape Makeover classes and condense it into 17 short, engaging episodes that provide step-by step guidance through the landscape retrofit process, including site analysis, design, implementation and maintenance.  To watch the videos, or learn more about the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Program, go to LandscapeMakeover.WaterSmartSD.org.

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The Water Authority also is now a partner in the Qualified Water-Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) training program. This program provides landscape professionals with 20 hours of education on principles of proper plant selection for the local climate, irrigation system design and maintenance, and irrigation system programming and operation.  Go to QWEL.WaterSmartSD.org to learn more, including information about hiring QWEL-trained landscapers.

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In addition to these new resources, the Water Authority continues to work with multiple partners to help homeowners and business owners maximize water efficiency. Please visit  www.whenindrought.org for links to water-use rules by community and other conservation resources, such as incentives for rain barrels to low-water-use devices and appliances.

Thank you to all of you who have conserved and continue to find new ways to make the most of our most precious resource! 

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Water Savings in Action

Last month, I Love A Clean San Diego and Media Arts Center San Diego came together to create a short but educational video to help San Diegans conserve water. Here’s a behind the scenes look at our video shoot!

DSC00017I Love A Clean San Diego’s Board President, Eric, is a water saving pro, so it was only fitting that we used his home as a backdrop for our video. He and his family have made all sorts of changes – some small, some large – to make their home more water wise.

When we pulled up, we were in awe of his front yard. He recently removed all of his grass and shrubs, replacing it with mulch, wood chips and lots of drought tolerant plants. It looked professionally done, so of course we were in shock when he said that he did it all himself! He showed us how the mulch ground cover helps to retain moisture in the soil, so he rarely waters but the ground still felt damp and cool.

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Whether you have 1 rain barrel or 5, you will be making the most out of the few rainy days San Diego sees each year.

Then we headed to the side of his house, where he showed off his massive rain barrel array. I have to say, it was a little intimidating to see such a feat of engineering, but he assured us that it’s really easy after you do a little math. To help with this, we’ve put together a DIY guide to plan for and install rain barrels at your home!

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Low flow shower heads and faucet aerators can make a huge impact!

After checking out Eric’s amazing vegetable garden, which he irrigates with water collected from his rain barrels, we headed inside the house! One clever tactic that we’d never even thought of is to fill up a large bottle with water and put it inside your toilets water tank to help displace water. Then, the toilet tank thinks that it is full and shuts off before using too much water. 

Another quick and easy bathroom water savings retrofit…low flow shower heads and faucet aerators. They are simple to install and the water savings can really add up. And best of all? I Love A Clean San Diego has lots of them available through a partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric. If you are an SDG&E customer, you can swing by our office to pick up your free water savings kit! Or, you can request one online and they’ll mail it to your home!

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Displacing the water in your toilet tank allows it to use far less water with each flush.

We finished the day by taking a tour of his garage. You might not think that a garage has anything to do with water conservation, but it does if that’s where you do your laundry. Eric’s family has installed a gray water system in the garage to collect water from the washing machine to irrigate shrubs on the side of his house. This installation is a bit more technical, since you have to create a two-way valve and find a way to run PVC pipe through your garage and out to the yard. But, the good news is that in San Diego, you no longer need a permit to install gray water systems, as long as it is only hooked up to your washing machine. For more water savings tips for every room of your home click here and if you’re interested in learning more about rebates, we have an infographic for that too!

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Gray water, commonly referred to as Landry to Landscape is another great option to make the most out of every drop.

Now that you’ve gone behind the scenes, here is the final product – our water conservation video!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5_OV2TVvok]