Five Ways to Wise Up on Water Use

Five Water-Saving Tips for Ojai

By Aimee Jo Davis-Varela

The megadrought engulfing California and much of the Western United States is showing no signs of letting up any time soon. This means that we all need to double down on our water conservation efforts and find new ways to reduce our residential usage.

I have doled out a lot of water-saving tips in this column over the years, such as installing a pool cover, switching to high-efficiency appliances, adding a gray water system, catching shower water in a bucket, installing rain barrels, or replacing grass lawns with low-water alternatives. And now it looks like it is time to go over some more ideas.

So, to help you level up on saving water, here are five more ways to conserve water at home.

1. Look for leaks.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that ten percent of homes across the country have leaks that waste at least 90 gallons of water every day (EPA.gov). Some of the most common causes of these leaks are dripping faucets, toilet flappers that need to be replaced, or leaking valves. For most of my clients, when there is a water leak, we almost always find it in the irrigation system, so I always tell folks to look there first.

2. Soak fruits and vegetables.

Instead of running the faucet to wash fruits and vegetables, and then allowing that water to run down the drain, fill a bowl or a dishpan with enough water to cover the fruits and vegetables you need to wash. After soaking them, dunk them in another dishpan or bowl of water to rinse them. You may need to use a produce brush on some fruits and vegetables. Reuse the water to irrigate your garden or flush your toilet.

3. Use your dishwasher more.

According to Treehugger, the average dishwasher uses six gallons of water per load, and the average Energy Star dishwasher uses just four gallons (treehugger.com). This is compared to an average flow of about two gallons per minute from your kitchen faucet. So, unless you can wash and rinse dishes really fast, you are better off running your dishwasher – even if it is not completely full.

4. Focus on native plants.

Native plants that thrive in the Ojai Valley without much help from humans are the best choice for gardens and landscaping. You can easily add a variety of textures and colors to your yard with flowering options that are drought-tolerant and require minimal care. Examples include California peony, stinging lupine, poppies, fiesta flowers, and bush mallow. You can see a full list or download a PDF guide to California native flowering plants on the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy website (OVLC.org).

5. Change out your toilets.

If your toilet is decades old, you can save water just by updating to a modern one. You can save more by replacing it with a high-efficiency toilet. High-efficiency toilets use about 1.28 to 1.6 gallons of water per flush compared to conventional toilets that can use as much as five to seven gallons every time you flush. If you are okay with letting yellow mellow, you can save even more water by using your toilet a few times between flushes when it is only liquid waste.