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June 24, 2010
Two needs, one hose: summertime water saving
Posted by Nola Poirier
Peee-yew! Yesterday my dog rolled in something old and rotten with a smell so strong it made my eyes water. All I could think was – bath time. Immediately.
On my way to get a bucket I passed some of my sandy garden beds, where the new seedlings are still struggling to establish themselves, and it gave me an idea: I stood the dog in one of the gardens, and washed him right on top of the thirsty plants – accomplishing watering the garden and washing the dog at the same time.
This morning the flowers look springier, and my dog smells a lot closer to honeysuckle and lavender than whatever he smelled of yesterday. But more importantly, it was a more effective use of water than it otherwise might have been.
Fresh water is a precious resource
Globally, only three per cent of the world's water is fresh, and less than one third of one percent is available for human use. In Canada we consume more water per person per day than most other countries, and in B.C., we use about 490 litres of water per person per day, which is more than 150 litres per day above the already high Canadian average.
During the dry summer months in most parts of B.C., we use water faster than our reservoirs can refill.
Whether if comes from your faucet or your sprinkler and goes on your tomatoes or your quarter acre of Kentucky bluegrass, it's still a precious, and globally diminishing, resource.
Of course, what you do with it does matter. Watering food has more value than watering a lawn, but whatever you use it for, available fresh water resources still become depleted, and still take time to replenish, a long long time.
So yes, let's celebrate that it's summer. The sun is out, the rain has slowed, the days are long. It's time for tall icy drinks and flowers in the garden, cool dips in the pool and romping on the lawn with the dog. Let's enjoy the best of the season – and let's do it all with less water use.
Water restrictions
Many parts of B.C. have summer watering restrictions where all residents are asked to limit their water use. In the dry Okanagan, where this year's low snowpacks have significantly limited water supplies, more stringent water restrictions are likely. Already this spring, district officials in Vernon tried to implement Stage 3 water restrictions – no water for lawns or pools – but many residents objected, and a little more rain fell, so for now the ban is under further consideration.
And it's not only arid regions areas that require water conservation. For example, Victoria's CRD is currently in Stage 1 of their Water Conservation Bylaw which means alternate days of lawn watering for even and odd addresses.
Abbotsford had to stop charity car washes and has asked residents not to water lawns during July and August. Many of the Gulf Islands have extremely limited water and islands like Hornby ask visitors to bring their own water supplies with them. And even Tofino, tucked in the rainforest, doesn't always capture enough water for all the summer holiday traffic.
Wherever you are this summer, here are some tips for saving water outside. For ideas to cut back on water use in the home, check out BC Hydro's Water Use Guide.
How to take action
Car washing
Many professional car washes recycle the water they use, while some are mandated to do so, especially in times of low water. If you are going to wash your car, find a car wash that recycles.
If you are going to wash your car at home, pull it onto the lawn. This has two great benefits: you can water the grass or flowerbeds at the same time, and the soap and road residues percolate through the ground instead of running into the sewer where they negatively impact aquatic ecosystems.
Instead of giving the car a full wash, you can spot clean, just where it needs it. In the summer, when there isn't salt on the road, it's less important to keep your car washed. Save some water, let it get a little dusty.
Another option is to park the car more often when the weather's good, and ride your bike, walk, or take transit.
Lawns and gardens
Two of the best ways to reduce water use from your garden, whatever you're growing, are to use rain water barrels to capture the water from rooftops over the winter, and to mulch your beds - with straw, leaves, grass or even rocks and gravel. These two factors alone could eliminate almost all your municipal water use in the garden.
For more information and ideas on how to save water in the garden, check out my 150 day water diet blog from last summer.
For lawns, grow grasses that are suitable for the temperature and moisture levels in your area and don't cut it too short, keeping it a little longer will help the soil retain moisture. You might also consider pulling up part of the lawn and replacing it with low maintenance garden beds, or some food plants, or easy care ground covers like short growing clovers, yarrow, or various sedges. You can even dot in a few well-mulched strawberry plants or pots of blueberries for a sweet and attractive treat.
Pools, hot tubs, and running through the sprinkler
Pools and hot tubs are big water – and energy – users. If you don't use your pool often or are going to be away for much of the summer, consider leaving it empty.
If you are filling your pool or hot tub, and heating the water, ensure you make it as energy efficient as possible by improving the insulation, using an effective cover, and switching to solar heating. Solar heating for pools has become more affordable in recent years, and it's durable and highly energy efficient.
For information about energy efficiency pools and hot tubs, visit our outdoor water tip in the Green Guides.
As for running through the sprinkler (on your designated watering days), it is of course a childhood rite of passage, but it's definitely better to head to the nearest lake, river, pond, ocean access, or water park to cool down – while conserving water.
Nola Poirier is a Sunshine Coast-based freelance writer and regular contributor to Unplug This Blog!
