Being Water Wise At Home

 

The East Bay is home to beautiful views and landscapes that are unfortunately getting drier and drier. Despite a rainy December, the first part of 2022 has left the East Bay and much of California in severe drought or worse, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Water is a precious resource for all of us, and conservation is key to maintaining our water supply. 

This year, we’re challenging ourselves (and you!) to take steps toward better water conservation. It doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. The first step is monitoring your water use and then creating an actionable plan for home water conservation. To get you started, below is a simple checklist of things you can do to reduce your water consumption at home. 

HOME WATER CONSERVATION CHECKLIST  

Use this handy checklist to reduce your home’s water use.

INDOOR​

• Contact EBMUD to schedule a free WaterSmart Home Survey.
• Stop by the ZCEB office to pick up a free non-toxic leak-detecting tablet that will help you
  check for silent leaks. 
• Be sure to fix any detected leaks!
• Convert to low-flow shower heads (max 2.5 GPM) and add aerators to faucets (max 2.2 GPM).
• Run full loads of laundry and dishes.
• Choose low-flow toilets and high-efficiency washing machines.
• Set a timer to help you shorten your showers. Aim for one minute less each week for a month.

OUTDOOR

• Add mulch to your garden plantings to help soil retain water longer.
  • ​El cerrito resources
  • Albany resources
  • Berkeley resources
• Upgrade your irrigation system with smart controllers, more efficient sprinkler heads
  and/or drip irrigation.
• Run irrigation systems to observe if any need to be adjusted or repaired: look for broken,
  leaning, clogged or non-rotating sprinkler heads, incorrect or blocked spray patterns.
• After watering, check for runoff: make adjustments or repairs as needed.
• Turn off irrigation in the winter; only water manually when necessary. During the growing
  season, irrigate before 10am or after 7pm.

If you finished the checklist, congratulations! Additional copies can be downloaded here or picked up at the ZCEB office. Give us a call at 510.323.3669 or swing by if you’d like a few more to share with neighbors and friends. 

This is part one of our four part Water Conservation series. Read part two here.

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