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With the onset of fall and winter, our watering use goes down naturally. Have we ever thought about winter water conservation? After all, the garden and lawn each need a lot less water to see them through the colder days ahead and, eventually, you’ll shut off your entire Smart Rain or other irrigation system at some point before nightly freezes become the norm.
Even though we’re not watering lawns or gardens in the winter, Americans still consume 70 gallons of water every day for drinking, washing, cooking and other indoor purposes. As the second-driest state in the union, Utah knows that water conservation is important all year round.
You can make a difference for both the winter water conservation and management in your community and state, and for your pocketbook at the same time. Follow a few simple tips for winter water conservation in the cold seasons.
Outdoor winter water conservation hazards
Outdoor water taps and hoses can freeze and burst, leading to a huge mess and a waste of water. Winter water conservation starts with closing your outdoor taps. First, open them so water flows through the taps and hoses. Then turn off the taps inside your house that lead to the outdoor taps and let the water drain outside. Drain the hoses and store them, and then close the outdoor taps.
Insulate indoor pipes
Water pipes, particularly in the basement, can be prone to freezing during cold snaps. Frozen pipes can burst, which wastes a lot of water and can mean a major clean-up job for you. Insulate pipes near the outer walls.
If you have pipes that are prone to freezing, leave the tap open just enough for a trickle of water to flow through the pipe. This can prevent the pipes from freezing completely and bursting.
You can also insulate your hot water pipes in the house. When the temperature outside drops, your pipes get cold, too, which means you have to run the water longer before it’s warm enough for a shower. Insulating your hot water pipes will reduce the amount of water you waste for every shower.
Reduce water consumption in the house
Less water use means better water conservation. When you have to replace toilets, faucets and shower heads, move to low-flow models. They’ll quickly pay for themselves in water savings.
You can also replace your hot water tank with an instant hot water recirculating system or a tankless hot water system. These systems deliver hot water as soon as you turn on the faucet, so you don’t waste water waiting for the shower to heat up. Americans waste thousands of dollars and also thousands of gallons of water every year this way.
For a low-tech, alternative, put a bucket in the shower to collect cold water and use it to water your indoor plants.
Washing up conservatively
There’s always a big clean-up after a holiday meal or party, and that consumes a lot of water.
Dishwashers consume less water than washing by hand. You can also save water by scraping leftovers into the compost, rather than rinsing the dishes.
Run the dishwasher only when it’s full. By the same token, wash only full loads of laundry to maximize your winter water conservation.
