Energy efficient

appliances are usually water efficient too.

Tips for indoor

water conservation

Periodically verify

that your home is leak-free, as many homes have

hidden water leaks. Read your water meter before

and after a two-hour period when no water is

being used. If the meter does not read exactly

the same, there is a leak.

Repair dripping

faucets by replacing washers. One drip per second

from a faucet wastes six gallons of water a day.

Check your toilet

for leaks. Put a few drops of food coloring in

your toilet tank. If the toilet is leaking, color

will appear within 30 minutes. A leaky toilet can

waste more than 100 gallons of water a day.

Operate automatic

dishwashers and clothes washers only when they

are fully loaded, or properly set the water level

for the size of load you are using.

Install

water-saving fixtures, such as ultra low-flow

toilets, shower heads and faucets.

If you do have an

older toilet, place a cut-off quart or gallon

milk or bleach jug in the tank to displace water.

Do not use bricks.

Don't leave the

water running when brushing your teeth, shaving

or washing dishes. Running faucets waste three to

seven gallons a minute.

Keep a bottle of

drinking water in the refrigerator, so you won't

have to run the tap to cool it.

Take shorter

showers. Limit your showers to the time it takes

to soap up, wash down and rinse off.

Never pour water

down the drain. Use it another way, such as

watering plants.

Outdoor water use

facts

Landscaping

accounts for 20 to 50 percent of all residential

water use and provides the best opportunity for

water conservation at home.

As much as 30

percent of water can be lost to evaporation by

watering the lawn during midday.

Homes with

in-ground sprinkler systems use 35 percent more

water outdoors than those that do not.

Tips for outdoor

water conservation

Water early in the

morning, preferably before 5 a.m.; this prevents

loss of water due to evaporation and wind.

Don't overwater

your lawn. As a general rule, lawns only need

watering every seven to 10 days in the summer. A

hearty rain eliminates the need for watering for

as long as two weeks.

One inch of water

on your lawn a week is plenty. Place a can in the

area you are watering to measure the amount of

water your sprinkler delivers. When you do water

your lawn, water it long enough for water to seep

down to the roots where it is needed. A light

sprinkling that sits on the surface will simply

evaporate and be wasted.

Never water grass

daily (except when establishing new lawns). Daily

watering encourages shallow root systems and

reduces drought tolerance.

Most well

established trees and shrubs don't even need as

much water as lawns. Watch for signs - if

shrubs turn gray-green and wilt, they need water.

Lightly pruning shrubs that become severely

wilted will also help conserve moisture and

survive the dry period.

Punch holes into a

coffee can and bury it halfway into the ground

near shrubs and trees. This makes a useful

homemade drip irrigation system.

Consider just

letting lawns go. Bermuda lawns can go for eight

weeks without water. Even fescue lawns will green

up again when it rains or can be reseeded in late

fall.

Raise the lawn

mower blade to at least three inches. A lawn cut

higher encourages grass roots to grow deeper,

shades the root system and holds soil moisture

better than a closely-clipped lawn.

Cut back annual and

perennial flowers that wilt. This will reduce

plants' demand for water and help keep the root

system alive.

Plant native and/or

drought-tolerant grasses, ground covers, shrubs

and trees. Once established, they do not need to

be watered as frequently, and they usually will

survive a dry period without any watering. Group

plants together based on similar water needs.

Place a layer of

mulch around trees and plants. Mulch slows the

evaporation of moisture. Mulching also helps to

control weeds that compete with the plants for

water.

Consider using a

commercial car wash - most operations recycle

their water.

Set out containers

to collect rainwater for use (cover them later to

deter mosquitoes).

Your air

conditioner or de-humidifier collects humidity

from the air in your home and pumps it outside as

condensation. Find the drain from your air

conditioner and collect the water for use on

plants, or extend the tubing to irrigate nearby

plants.

Place rain gauges

in your yard to help determine if there has been

enough rain.

Don't water your

street, driveway or sidewalk. Position your

sprinklers so that your water lands on the lawn

and shrubs - not on the paved areas.

Do not leave

sprinklers or hoses unattended. Your garden hose

can pour out 600 gallons of water or more in only

a few hours, so don't leave the sprinkler running

all day.

Use a broom, not a

hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.

For more

information on the drought and water restrictions

in each county, visit ARC's web site at www.atlantaregional.com

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