In 2017 Jerry Brown announced the drought in California had ended, and in a recent article in the Mercury News, it stated that urban Californians have declined in their conservation efforts since the Governor made this announcement. As a 30 year seasoned, water well driller, I can tell you that California was never out of a drought. While we experienced a wet winter in 2017, it’s going to take several years to replenish California’s extremely low rain yields. In light of this, water conservation is still and always will be critical.
Working out in the elements, I see many opportunities for water conservation improvement. From Water Use it Wisely, my top 5 noted below –
- Avoid planting grass or high water usage vegetation in areas that are hard to water, such as steep includes and isolated strips along sidewalks and walkways.
- Have a plumber re-route your greywater to trees and plants rather than the sewer line. Check with your city and county for codes.
- Minimize evaporation by watering during the early morning hours when temperatures are cooler and winds are lighter.
- If you choose to keep a lawn – if walking across the lawn leaves footprints (blades don’t spring back up), then it’s time to water.
- Leave lawn clippings on your grass, this cools the ground and holds in the moisture.
If we continually maintain our water conservation efforts, then we will feel less burdened when State restrictions are put in place. We are all in this together, so let’s keep conserving!
Thanks,
Mike