Love Your Yard; Protect Your Water
A significant portion of residential water use — more than half in most cases — occurs outdoors. And, sadly, much of the water used outdoors is lost to evaporation, runoff, and overwatering. This wasted water can affect water quality. Why? Because what goes around, comes around.
When it comes to water, nature is the ultimate recycler. The water from your garden hose may go on to help form a rain cloud or seep into the ground to feed a nearby well. Over the course of time, it may end up back in your garden hose, ready to start the whole process over again.
But when water from your yard runs into storm drains or finds its way into the water table, it can take contaminants with it, such as fertilizers and pesticides. When that happens, Cal Water must spend time, money, and energy to remove those contaminants before the water can be provided to customers.
The California State Water Resources Control Board has a number of recommendations for ways to reduce the impact of these contaminants, including:
- Buy household and garden products that are environmentally safe, and don't buy more than you need.
- Apply all household and garden products sparingly, and carefully follow instructions printed on the package.
- Do not apply lawn or garden products when rain is forecast.
- Take unused pesticides, fertilizers, weed killers, and paints to a recycling station.
Read the instructions carefully before using fertilizers, pesticides, or any other substance in your garden or yard, and consult an expert if you still have questions. You can help prevent runoff and reduce water contaminants by reducing the amount of water you use outdoors.
In addition to carefully and conservatively managing your garden, shortening your sprinkler run times can make a significant difference. You can also be greener by eliminating sprinkler overspray, repairing leaks, and turning off your sprinklers when it rains.
Last, but not least, think about what kind of plants you have. Native and drought-tolerant plants generally use less water and might require less fertilizer and pesticide than plants that are not indigenous to your area.