Gardening Tips
An average of 50-70% of all home water use is concentrated on the lawn and garden. Here are some tips provided by the Irrigation Association:
- Water plants only when needed to avoid run-off onto the street. If your grass springs back after you lift your foot, then it doesn’t need water. Set your automatic sprinklers for longer intervals between watering. Better yet, water your lawn with a hose during the hot summer months.
- The best time to water plants is early in the morning when evaporation is at a minimum. This alone can save 300 gallons a month.
- Putting a 3-5 inch layer of mulch around your plants helps to retain moisture and prevent evaporation, saving 750 to 1,500 gallons monthly.
- Installing rain sensors will interrupt your watering program if it rains.
- Drip irrigation systems efficiently use 50 percent less water by delivering water slowly and directly.
- Using a cover for your pool will save 1,000 gallons a month while keeping the pool cleaner and reducing the need to add chemicals.
- Use a broom or blower instead of hosing to clean debris from the sidewalk and driveway.
- Avoid watering on windy days. It can waste almost 300 gallons in evaporation.
- Save 300 gallons by watering less or not at all when the weather is cool or overcast.
- Longer grass means less evaporation so set lawn mower blades one notch higher. You can save anywhere from 500 to 1,500 gallons a month.
-Existing trees not only provide shade but require less water once established.
- Also, consider
(Daily Breeze, Sunday July 8, 2007- Section B)
Energy Conservation
• Replace your home's incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to save energy and money! CFLs last ten times longer than incandescent bulbs, meaning you don't have to change them as often. And, each CFL that replaces an equivalent incandescent bulb can save more than $50 over its lifetime in reduced energy costs.
• Turn off lights when not in use.
• Adjust thermostat to 78 degrees or higher to reduce energy usage.
• Limit the use of appliances during peak hours of the day — use washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners and other heavy appliances during evening hours.
• Try to avoid cooking during peak hours of the day since it will add to the heat inside the home.
• Ventilate your home at night by opening windows and doors to clear out the heat and allow cooler air to circulate.
• Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature automatically and maximize your energy savings.
• Clean or replace your air-conditioner’s filter(s) every month to keep your air-conditioner running more efficiently.
• Regularly brush or vacuum the condenser coils at the bottom or rear of your refrigerator and check door gasket for tight fit and adjust if necessary.
• Buy energy-saving “Energy Star” labeled appliances.
• Limit the time you run your pool pump: In summer, run the motor no more than six hours a day, preferably in the evening. Pool pumps use as much as 1/3 the energy as an air conditioner.
• Be aware of the “Energy Vampires.” These are appliances that use energy even when you think they are not. Any appliance with a clock or “quick on” is using energy. Unplug these appliances when not in use.
• Wash only full loads of clothes or dishes.
• Check to see that your fireplace damper is closed tightly to hold cool air in when the fireplace is not in use.
FOR THE OFFICE
• Turning off your desk and overhead lights, and meeting room lights, if they are not needed.
• Keep personal appliance use to a minimum.
• Turn off all computer equipment when you leave the office or when they are not being used.
• Be sure your computer equipment goes into the sleep mode when not in use. (80% savings in energy use)
• Go paperless when possible. Reduced printing and copying translates into reduced energy use.
For more energy saving tips please visit www.ladwp.com
Tips for Weathering the Heat
The LADWP offers these tips on dealing with the unusual heat.
FIRST AND FOREMOST- DON'T LEAVE KIDS or PETS IN YOUR CAR! DON'T TAKE YOUR DOG WALKING/ JOGGING DURING EXTREME HEAT- for more tips go to Pets & People page!
• Wear light, loose-fitting clothing.
• Keep hydrated, drink water and fluids often, don’t wait until you are thirsty.
• Avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun. Wear a hat, preferably with a wide brim, when you are out in the sun.
• If you know seniors or people who live alone, or those with respiratory systems, check on them regularly to make sure that they are staying cool.
• Never leave children or pets unattended in closed cars or other vehicles.
• During peak heat hours, stay in an air-conditioned area if possible. If you do not have access to air conditioning in your home, visit public facilities, such as shopping malls and community centers and libraries to stay cool.
Water Conservation
1. Fix leaky faucets, plumbing joints and your sprinkler system. Saves 20 gallons a day for every leak stopped.
2. Replace your showerhead with a new high efficiency showerhead; install water saving faucet aerators in your bathroom and kitchen. Free showerheads and aerators are available at any LADWP (www.ladwp.com) customer service center.
3. Replace your old washing machine with a new, high-efficiency model. Saves 20 to 30 gallons per load. Learn how you can receive a $250 rebate from the purchase of a new eligible high efficiency clothes washer by clicking on following link http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp000399.jsp.
4. Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. Saves 300 to 800 gallons a month.
5. Shorten your showers. Every minute of your shower uses 2.5 gallons of water. So, a one- or two-minute reduction can save up to 375 gallons per month.
6. Don’t use the toilet as a wastebasket. Saves up to 200 gallons a month.
7. Turn off the running water while brushing your teeth, soaping up and/or shaving in shower. While waiting for water to warm, collect cold water to use for watering indoor plants. Saves up to 300 gallons a month.
For more information visit www.BeWaterWise.com
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