Created: Thursday, 28 December 2017 17:06

2018 Water Resolutions From Your IRWD Team

From left: Enrique Zanetti, Lauren Gautschi, Amy McNulty, Luis Genis, Nathan Lacy, Allan Pascual, Juan Garcia, Melody Seesangrit and Joey Baquerizo.

With the New Year almost here, make it your resolution to conserve water. Meet the Irvine Ranch Water District water efficiency team and check out some of their tips on saving water.

Amy McNulty: I take my car to a commercial car wash instead of washing it at home because water at commercial car washes is reused multiple times. I save water, my car looks great, and I have more time for exciting things, like designing a drought tolerant landscape for my home.

Allan Pascual: I change the irrigation controller setting monthly based on the IRWD-recommended schedule (wateringguide.com).

Enrique Zanetti: Check your toilets for leaks and think about upgrading to a water efficient washing machine and dishwasher. (See rightscapenow.com/rebates to save on a high-efficiency clothes washer.) Taking meter readings is a great way to calculate the exact amount of water you use day by day. You may be able to see a pattern—and take action on days of the week when your usage spikes. For a tutorial on meter reading, visit irwd.com/services/meter-information.

Luis Genis: I leave the faucet off while brushing my teeth and I only turn on the lights when necessary. Conserving electricity indirectly saves water.

Nathan Lacy: Use refillable water bottles and fill up at faucets, water fountains, and hydration stations. Breaking the bottled-water habit will help save the environment—because you don’t cause water and energy to be wasted in the production of single-use plastic bottles.

Lauren Gautschi: I love participating in sports activities. To save water, I am sure to shower after playing sports! This prevents multiple showers and decreases the amount of laundry.

Joey Baquerizo: Set timers and reminders! Pick your favorite shower song (ideally not “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”) and finish your shower as the song comes to an end. Set calendar reminders with the computer in your pocket to remind you when you should be checking your irrigation timer settings.

Juan Garcia: Consider replacing your lawn with a low water use ground cover.

Melody Seesangrit: Check for broken sprinkler heads by routinely performing manual station runs. Watch IRWD’s “How to Check for Sprinkler Leaks” video at rightscapenow.com/how-do-i/how-do-i-fix-a-leak.