Water Saving Tips

Residents of the North Plains GCD need to all do our part to preserve our water heritage

As residents of the semi-arid North Plains Groundwater Conservation District, we should all be doing our part, whether small or large, to conserve water here in the northern Panhandle of Texas. But how can you get started doing that? We have a few water saving tips that might work!

The following is a list of outdoor water saving tips to get you started saving right away:

  1. Don’t water things that don’t grow, like streets and sidewalks.
  2. Water early or late in the day when there is less heat to cause evaporation.
  3. Water when there is as little wind as possible to keep the water on your lawn.
  4. Make sure you don’t over water. Lawns rarely need more than one inch of water per week.
  5. Use a rain gauge to measure rainfall so you don’t water if you don’t need to.
  6. Water when your lawn needs it, not on a timer. Use a rain gauge or tuna can to know when you’ve applied no more than one inch of water per week.
  7. Allow grass to dry between watering to promote deeper root growth.
  8. Cut your lawn to 2 ½ – 3 inches. Taller grass shades the soil, reducing evaporation.
  9. Don’t bag your clippings. Using a mulching blade saves you time and the clippings create a natural mulch to hold moisture.

Showering and other water uses inside the house account for most of the domestic water use year-round. If you follow these water saving tips you can reduce your indoor water usage whatever the season:

  1. Do not use the toilet as a trash can. The toilet is the highest user of water in most households.
  2. Install new water-efficient fixtures and appliances throughout your house.
  3. Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth.
  4. Only wash full loads of laundry or adjust the water level in your washing machine to match the size of the load.
  5. Fix leaks in sinks and toilets.
  6. Take a 5 minute shower instead of a bath.
  7. Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost vegetable food waste instead and save gallons every time.
  8. For cold drinks keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap and wasting water while you wait for it to get cold.

Websites & Resources for more Water Saving Ideas

Looking for websites with resources you can use in your home? Look no further! Below is a list of resources to help you keep your home water efficient!

Finally, make sure you are in compliance with any water restrictions in your city. For more information about water conservation practices you may call the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District at 806-935-6401 or email kwelch@northplainsgcd.org.