Sandy City: Water Conservation

Water Conservation

Water is vital for the functioning of our homes, businesses, and community. If you save water, you save money, energy, and help save the environment. The Sandy City Department of Public Utilities is dedicated to using water wisely. Please visit the following page for more Water Wise information:

Sandy City's "Sego Lily Gardens / Water Wise Landscapes"

For information on sprinkler maintenance and scheduling, please visit http://extension.usu.edu/files/factsheets/irrigation.pdf. For an irrigation schedule that is customized to the Sandy City area, based on your environmental factors, we recommend visiting http://www.conservewater.utah.gov/Customized

Water Conservation Tips for Indoors

LEAKS

A slow drip can add up to 15-20 gallons per day.
Leaks on faucets are usually due to worn washers or "o" rings.
Leaks for toilets are usually due to a worn flapper. A leaky toilet can be determined by either hearing the toilet run or by adding a food dye in the back of the tank. If the dye ends up in the bowl the flapper is worn and needs to be replaced.

BATHROOM

The bathroom is the area of greatest water use inside; the toilet is responsible for 40% of total indoor use, and bathing is responsible for 30% of total indoor use
Install a low-flow toilet. Older toilets use between 5 to 7 gallons per flush; while low-flow toilets use 1.5 gallons or less per flush.
For older toilets, to reduce the amount of water used per flush put a filled plastic container (or even rocks) in the back of the tank. Don't use a brick, they decompose and can stain your toilet.
Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket.
Install a low-flow showerhead. Older showerheads can use 5 to 10 gallons per minute, while a low-flow showerhead uses 2.5 gallons or less per minute.
Shorten your showers or turn off the water while soaping.
Install high-efficiency, low-flow aerators both in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Aerators mix air with water from the faucet, thus cutting down the flow of water.
Turn off the sink faucet while shaving or brushing your teeth.

KITCHEN AND WASHING MACHINE

Load the dishwasher and the clothes washer to capacity. Also use them during non-peak hours.
Low-flow dishwashers and clothes washers are available on the market.
Use less water when cooking by keeping lids on pans.
Don't use running water to defrost food or wash vegetables. Instead, plug the drain or use a pan of water to defrost or clean food.
Use the garbage disposal sparingly.
In the summer keep bottled water in the refrigerator rather than running the faucet to get cold water.

OTHER

By insulating the hot water pipe it reduces the time for getting hot water.
You can use recycled water (without chemicals) on your houseplants.

Water Conservation Tips for Outdoors

IRRIGATION

Visual test: Irrigate when 30% of lawn look looks wilted. Signs of wilt include footprints that remain in the grass after being made and a dull bluish-gray appearance to the lawn.
Water when it's cooler to reduce evaporation loss.
An automatic irrigation system needs to be checked on a regular basis for broken, clogged or ineffective sprinkler heads and other possible irrigation system problems.
Adjust watering to the weather. Hold off after a rainstorm, reduce watering when the weather turns cooler.
Drip irrigation for individual trees, shrubs and even perennials in garden areas.
Irrigate in several short watering periods called cycling instead of one long period. Especially important if have heavier soil, such as clay or loam, because they are better able to absorb water.
Deep infrequent irrigation to promote deeper roots. How deep and infrequent is soil dependent. As example, sandy soil hold less water than other soils so must irrigate more frequently.
Know your soil using a soil test. Take a handful of soil and try to roll it into a ribbon. If this is possible, you have clay soil. If it only forms a ball, loam soil. If it just falls apart, sandy soil.
Xeriscape: For turf areas that are difficult to irrigate or receive little use, look at plant alternatives that take less water. Xeriscape examples at Sego Lily Gardens at 1472 East Sego Lily Drive (10200 South).
Water- or hydrozoning: Group plants with similar water requirements together and water according to the plant needs.

TURFGRASS