Love your green grass? Expert offers advice for reducing outdoor water use while saving money
There are plenty of ways to conserve more water inside your home, but what about outside the house?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average U.S. household uses more water outdoors than for showering and washing clothes combined.
You can cut down on your water use by replacing your lawn with turf or with drought-resistant plants. But if you're planning to keep your grassy lawn, make sure you're not using more water than you need.
"Take a step on your grass. If it pushes down and then bounces right back, you're actually over-watering it. So that really plush feeling means that you're drowning your grass. So you want to cut back on the amount of days that you water," said Krista Guerrero, a water efficiency expert with the Metropolitan Water District.
Another way to save water for your lawn, Guerrero said, is to install a smart irrigation controller.
"It uses weather stations to determine when your grass actually needs water."
If you choose to go that route, rebates are available online.
Yard specialists also say you should let your grass grow longer. That will reduce how much water gets evaporated. Set your lawn mower between 2-4 inches, depending on the type of grass you have.
If you're cleaning up the driveway, use a broom instead of a hose. And if you have a pool, cover it when you're not using it.
If you're still struggling to cut down on your water bill, there are some programs you may qualify for. The federal Low Income Household Water Assistance Program helps low-income families pay down their residential water or wastewater bills.
You can also see if your local water provider offers a customer assistance program.
Join us every weekday morning on Eyewitness News at 5 a.m. for our new segment, ABC7 On Your Side. John Gregory has you covered on money-saving tips, including tricks to save on your bills, smart negotiating tactics, plus where you can score free stuff!
