Other low-pressure situations are occurring in isolated areas, including the far western portion of the Oklahoma City service area. Those who live there and all other Oklahoma City citizens are asked to begin best-watering practices, reducing the amount of water used on their yards.
The following “best-watering” steps minimize water waste and will help ease the low water-pressure problems:
- Water the lawn only when it needs it and in the early morning or late afternoon. Watering in the middle of the day allows most of the water to evaporate.
- Make sure the sprinkler is aimed at the lawn not the street or sidewalk. If you water when it’s windy, water will go everywhere but on the grass.
- Use a broom instead of your hose to clean the driveway or sidewalk.
These steps will further our water conservation efforts:
- Run the dishwasher or washing machine only for full loads.
- Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running the tap to cool water is wasteful.
- Reduce the use of the garbage disposal. It requires a great deal of water for operation. Dispose of food scraps and peelings in the trash or compost bin.
- Fix leaky faucets. Drops of two tablespoons a minute can waste 15 gallons of water a day, 105 gallons a week and 5,460 gallons a year.
- Install flow restrictors or washer-less faucets.
- Don’t use the toilet as a wastebasket. A toilet uses five to seven gallons of water per flush. Low-flow toilets use only about 1.5 gallons per flush.
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving and save about two gallons of water.
- Also, when cleaning a fish tank, water houseplants with the dirty water. It’s rich in nitrogen and phosphorous.
- Decline the complimentary water in restaurants. Every water glass used requires two glasses of water to wash and rinse it.
