A majority of water use during the summer happens outdoors, according to the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD).
Public Education Manager Helen Dulac said anywhere from 40%-60% of water usage during the summer is used for watering lawns, adding about half of it is wasted because of overwatering, inefficient watering or broken irrigation systems.
The additional strain during the summer months is on top of what residents use in the kitchen and home bathroom.
One factor to consider with pools is evaporation, said Dulac, but there are pool covers available to help mitigate lost water because of evaporation. Some cities also allow residents to receive rebates or discounts on their water bill if they have a pool cover.
Additionally, residents should be mindful of how frequently they water their lawns, said Dulac. They can use services such as Water My Yard, an online service that helps homeowners know how much water they need and how frequently they need to water their lawns.
Interested residents can visit the Water My Yard website by going to watermyyard.org. Residents can also sign up through the NTMWD or their water provider, if available.
“With a sprinkler system, it’s easy to set it and forget it,” Dulac said. “It could run right after it rains or more than once a week.”
In 2021, Water My Yard recommended not watering a lawn 35 weeks out of the year, said Dulac. By not watering a lawn, that water can be conserved and used elsewhere.
“We need to have water for hospitals and firefighting,” Dulac said. “The water we drink is the same water a surgeon uses to wash their hands before a procedure.”
For the full story, see the June 2 issue of The Princeton Herald.
0 Comments