California Water restrictions... Ideas to cut back /save/recycle

pggoody · ‎10-09-2010

We need to cut back our water usage here in CA. Lawn watering is restricted, and I have had to get creative in ways to reuse/ save water from inside the house to carry out and throw on my lawn and flowerbeds. Includes: showering with a bucket and a couple plastic containers sitting on the shower floor to collect some of the water going down the drain, collecting the water that it takes to warm the shower up in the morning. (2 story
home takes a bit for water to warm up early morning. ) saving the water I use to wash my
veggies and fruits and rinse water from hand wash saved and carried outside. I was alarmed at how much water I was able to collect in just one day! Needless to say I have cutback on my loads of laundry, and length of time I take showering. I am also taking a break from WEN! Wen users you know how long it takes to rinse the product out of uour
hair. I have been a faithful Wen girl for 3 years and realize I am never going to have the kind of hair on the models so it is no tear jerker to forego using Wen It was time to get back to NICK anyway, but that is a whole other post😀

Susan Louise · ‎03-14-2010

You are doing a great job cutting back! It seems you have it all down...just don't know how to improve it any.

In contrast, I don't know how it is so many folks out your way can continue to fill their pools...what do you think?

shoekitty · ‎03-10-2010

Having gone through the severe draught and water restrictions in the 1970's, I learned the following. People need to invest in a low flush toilet. If you still have one of the older, place a brick in toilet tank while empty, then let water fill tank. Also, as far as flushing is concerned we used to humm the tune, if it is "yellow, be mellow", if it is brown "flush it down". Remember every flush can use several gallons water, depending on toilet. We got a Toto ultra flush, and LOVE it! I think it flushes with a gallon. It flushes with the power to get 52 golf balls down, LOL!

Keep bucket in shower to catch over spray. Water plants with this. Conserve water in tub or shower. Shower with reduced minutes, use half the bathwater in tub. Small children? try bathing 2 at a time.

Use a car wash, do not wash walk way off.

Try to wear clothing longer if you can, and forgo weekend showers if staying home. Might help

Allegedly · ‎03-19-2010

You are doing an amazing job, pggoody! I do not live in CA but I still try to conserve water. While showering, I turn off the water while shampooing or soaping my body. I also collect rain water via a rain barrel to water my plants. I know your area has not had rain so that does not help you much.

Meowingkitty · ‎06-19-2010

I agree with the low flush toilets. As for filling up the pool, you pretty much have to because if it is empty the heat will ruin the plaster and make it crack, which will cost a fortune to repair. We live in Arizona and decided to fill ours in four years ago. Best investment ever. We never used it and it needed mega bucks in repairs.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

If you're really seriou about conserving water, get rid of your lawn. I'm in NM, have a house with a large yard and not a blade of grass. It's all gravel but I have lots of shrubbery which I don't water. I do have a drip irrigation system (I installed it) on a couple of flower bed. If I were building a new house, I'd have the washer drain into flower beds.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

sandraskates · ‎06-26-2014

Hi pggoody,

I'm in CA too.

Give up the lawn. Depending on where you live some cities even have a "green exchange" program whereby your city will pay you x-amout per foot to take it out and replace it with drought tolerant plants. Check with your city to see if they offer this.

If your city has a water use effieciency dept check with them to see what other guidence they have. They may even host various workshops.

My city hosts gray water workshops. They give you an overview of how to rig up piping that will take your used washer, shower, bathtub gray water and make it go to your plant beds. It's not hard to do and it's fairly cheap if you can make gavity work for you.

And as has been said about flushing the toilet "If it's yellow it's mellow, if it's brown flush it down".

Ane1Care · ‎05-16-2010

I'm in SC, so no restrictions, but for years I've taken Navy showers. It saves a lot of water.

Turn your shower on to your temp. Turn the middle shower knob to the halfway point, nothing coming from the shower and not opened all the way that the facet opens.

Hop in, open shower head, wet yourself and pouf. Turn to halfway. Lather / wash. Open, and rinse and wet head. Halfway. Lather / cleanse hair. Open to rinse. Repeat hair if you want. Then rinse your body.

I'm in and out between 7-10 mins total. A normal shower is 7 mins. If I want to splurge 11 mins is my maximum. The water is only running for seconds as a time.

Marsha2003 · ‎03-12-2010

You might consider investing in a recirculating pump for your hot water heater. That's a good way to have almost instant hot water.

Cookie06 · ‎04-24-2010

Great job you are doing on the conservation. I just wish that the "rich" people that have the swimming pools, etc. would get the message. I don't know about this drought, but when we went to California in about 1977 they were having a major drought. We didn't realize it when we planned our trip. All the hotels and motels we stayed at had emptied their swimming pools half way and they weren't functioning. I understood why, but when you are a 23 year old woman on your honeymoon to California, your first trip ever there, we were sorely disapointed.

So I just hope that the water police are nabbing the creeps that use, use, and use more water just because they can. I remember a movie star at the time that touted to the world, as long as I can afford to fill my swimming pool, I am going to use it to my hearts content. Real nice huh.