What are you doing to become water efficient?

[igorsMistress]

I live in the desert southwest and water rights/ use have been in the news A LOT. The Colorado river provides water to 7 US states; currently those states are determining how the water will be allocated, and if they can’t work it out the feds are going to intervene.

As gardeners, I think we tend to be more in tune with the changes in weather patterns and recognize that things are drastically different in some places. So I would love to know what you all do to save water. Not just in the garden, but in your home as well.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

The southwest is very different than my situation in the northeast, but I try to raise the organic matter in my soil so it better retains moisture.

 

[Stacaroni]

Well... This is kind of gross but I often don't flush the toilet if it's just urine.

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

 

[Acre4Me]

Water is a real concern in some places. I think you’ve mentioned your state allows collection of rainwater, whereas some states do not. But, at least being able to collect water is a good thing for you.

Conserving water: people are generally terrible about this. Even if they are not watering a gorgeous lawn, personal habits are often not water conscious in these dry areas. It takes conscious effort to see your habits and figure out ways to optimize them.

 

[igorsMistress]

Well... This is kind of gross but I often don't flush the toilet if it's just urine.

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.

I do the same LOL.

 

[igorsMistress]

Water is a real concern in some places. I think you’ve mentioned your state allows collection of rainwater, whereas some states do not. But, at least being able to collect water is a good thing for you.

Conserving water: people are generally terrible about this. Even if they are not watering a gorgeous lawn, personal habits are often not water conscious in these dry areas. It takes conscious effort to see your habits and figure out ways to optimize them.

Agreed. I’ve started an experiment to see how much water I can collect from the dogs bowls when we dump and rinse. Same for the chicken water.

 

[igorsMistress]

I try to conserve as much as I can. I use soaker hoses as much as possible and time how long it runs, always water my garden in the morning, have just a small patch of grass for the pups. Most of my plants are desert adapted or natives as well, including a lot of the vegetable seed I buy. Native Seed Search has lots of seeds specific to the southwest. Lots of mulch too.

 

[saysfaa]

Brad Lancaster's books "Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and beyond"

Many of the concepts could be used even if collection of rainwater isn't allowed. One example: simply using a curved swale instead of a straight one allows the rainwater to flow slower so more of it to be absorbed by the soil or plants.

I'm decidedly not on drylands and still find the books among the most helpful of all my resource books.

 

[igorsMistress]

Brad Lancaster's books "Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and beyond"

Many of the concepts could be used even if collection of rainwater isn't allowed. One example: simply using a curved swale instead of a straight one allows the rainwater to flow slower so more of it to be absorbed by the soil or plants.

I'm decidedly not on drylands and still find the books among the most helpful of all my resource books.

Thanks for the book suggestion. I’m currently reading Sepp Holzers Permaculture but will add Lancasters book to my list!

 

[Shadrach]

I stopped washing. I haven't found it difficult.
Water was a problem when I lived in Catalonia. We had a well and the water was pumped from the well to a tank and then gravity fed down to the houses.
The well ran dry (below the pump suction pipe a few times.
It always irritated me that despite the known water problems a couple of people had a shower every morning by habit; nothing to do with being dirty.