Did you know a sprinkler can use up to 1,000 gallons of water each time you water your lawn? The University of Florida studied over a million homes in nine Florida counties and found that in one lawn watering cycle, the average home uses the same water equivalent as an eight-hour shower, 37 loads of laundry or 50 dishwasher cycles. In Osceola County, over 50% of all home water use occurs outside the home. Toilet flushes, washing machines and showers can contribute to your water use, but combined, those factors only contribute 30%. You can make the greatest difference to your home water bill by reducing your outdoor water use.
Saving water not only helps your water bill, it benefits the community. Central Florida’s current water source, the Floridan Aquifer, is not sustainable for the region’s projected growth. Reducing water usage will potentially postpone costs for future water treatment plants and delivery system expansions.
Conserving water can be easy, just water intentionally by:
- Filling your lawn with native Florida plants. By planting native Florida plants, you can reduce water usage by up to 50%. Plants native to Florida create a healthy landscape that is built to withstand the unique weather conditions of Florida. Once established, these plants often require very little water besides natural rainfall.
- Regularly checking outdoor faucets for leaks. Leaks around the home can waste 90 or more gallons of water a day. While indoor leaks can be more obvious, an outdoor leak can go unnoticed for weeks and contribute to this waste. While outside, check the perimeter of your house for any unintentional waterflow.
- Changing the way you water. Watering your lawn at night efficiently reduces water that gets lost to evaporation; make sure you stick to the recommended irrigation schedule for your home. Toho offers free irrigation evaluations and will make sure your systems are running as they should. Visit tohowater.com/residents-business/watering-days-and-times for more information.
- Watering less in the winter. In the winter months, your grass goes dormant and stops growing. During this period, you can skip a week of watering. This encourages strong root growth resulting in a healthier lawn.
- Checking your rain sensor. Make sure you have a working rain shutoff device – it’s the law! These devices automatically shut off irrigation systems so your lawn doesn’t get watered unnecessarily. Overwatering your lawn can also result in root rot and fungal growth.
Reducing outdoor water use is the right thing to do, plus it can help reduce your water bill. Remember, our actions today affect our needs in the future. Reducing water use can be very simple: water efficiently and set up future generations for success. To learn how Toho can help you conserve water, visit tohowater.com/conservation-tips for more ways to save.