CLWA Water Conservation Program
Aims to Reduce Residential and Business Water Use by 10 Percent

CLWA has partnered with The Home Depot and the City of Santa Clarita on a public education program aimed at reducing outdoor water usage in the Santa Clarita Valley this summer. With little rainfall and hot and dry summer months, the valley must carefully manage finite water supplies. So starting today and throughout the summer, Castaic Lake Water Agency is asking all customers to rethink water consumption and to reduce water usage by 10 percent.

We have three easy ways to save water in your yards and gardens this summer.

It all adds up to a lot of savings. By conserving water, you help us at Castaic Lake Water Agency help you.

Top Ten Outdoor Water Conservation Tips

• Adjust your sprinklers. Up to 80 percent of residential water use goes to maintaining our yards. Is your irrigation system running every day? That’s too much! Try taking a day off the timer, preferably the same day the lawn is mowed, and watch the health of your yard improve.
• Check your system. Do a weekly check for broken or clogged sprinkler head and replace them right away. Make sure you are watering your yard and not the driveway or sidewalk.
• Do you see water runoff from your yard each time you water? This could mean that the lawn needs aeration. When you aerate your lawn, you give the water somewhere to go besides down the storm drain.
• Fix those leaks. A quarter gallon per minute leak, or just more than a drip, wastes over 10,000 gallons per month. A leaking flapper on a toilet also increases flows at the water treatment plant.
• Plant drought-tolerant plants. Many of the lawns and plants we use are not intended for the unique climate in the Santa Clarita Valley. Come visit the Conservatory Garden at 27234 Bouquet Canyon Road for Water Wise plant ideas that work well in the Valley.
• Use a broom instead of a hose. Sweeping up rather than hosing off leaves or grass clippings not only saves water, but putting them into a green yard waste recycling container saves landfill space as well.
• Get an adjustable hose nozzle for outdoor use. That way you can adjust the spray to meet your needs. Five minutes of an open hose running is the same as a twenty-minute shower.
• Take shorter showers. Cutting 2 minutes off your shower time can save 600 gallons a month for a family of four. If you change the showerhead to a water efficient model that is available from your water purveyor, you could save even more.
• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. I am sure you are already doing that.
• Try washing with only full loads. Waiting until you have a full load versus washing many smaller loads can save you up to 20 gallons for the same amount of clothes.