Here are some tips to help you use water more efficiently and effectively:

• Take a shower instead of a bath – it uses less water - and install a low-flow showerhead.
• Wash only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.
• Turn water off when brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Fix leaky faucets.  A leaky faucet can lose up to 20 gallons of water a day.

Outdoors, proper watering will promote a healthier, more beautiful yard.  

·         Frequent, shallow watering causes shallow roots and weakened plants.  Water no more than once every five days, providing no more than one inch of water.  If it rains an inch or more, delay watering for several days.

·         Water before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. during the hot months.

·         Hand water or use a soaker hose for beds, to direct water to the plants that need it. 

·         If possible, delay any new landscaping until fall, and use native, drought-tolerant plants that are recommended for North Texas.

·         Maintain your sprinkler system. 

·         Don’t water during rainstorms.  City of Dallas residents must install rain and freeze sensors on their sprinkler systems by January 1, 2005.

·         Don’t water driveways, sidewalks or streets.  Don’t allow runoff into streets or drains.

·         Use a broom, not the hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.

·         Use mulch to retain moisture  - up to four inches deep around shrubs.

·         If you are buying a new home, be sure the builder provides at least 6 inches of good quality soil for all landscaped areas.

Paying attention to our water usage now can help us make sure that we are not wasting a precious natural resource.  

For more information on the Chamber’s water initiatives contact Amanda Oneacre at 214-746-6783 or aoneacre@dallaschamber.org.