Conservation Tips

This Year, Water Conservation is More Important Than Ever!

• Save Water Now
• Water Use in San Diego County
• Landscaping Tips
• Hot Water Recirculation Devices Program for New Homes
• Water Efficiency Checklist for Restaurants

Save Water Now!

Ways to save water outdoors:

1. Water landscaping only when needed. Water no more than twice a week unless the weather is hot and dry.
2. Check soil and plants to decide if irrigation is needed. Probe soil gently with a screwdriver or small spade to determine if it is dry. Leaves and grass lose their luster when they are dry.
3. Water deeply so water will penetrate the soil just below the root zone. This will encourage deep, strong roots.
4. Water landscaping only between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., when there is less evaporation.
5. Check your irrigation system, faucets and hoses regularly and repair any leaks. Make sure your irrigation system is operating as efficiently as possible.
6. Mulch plants well to prevent moisture loss.
7. Plant low-water-use plants and trees. Many are beautiful and easy to grow.
8. Use a broom to clean patios, driveways and walkways. Using a hose for these chores wastes water and contributes to runoff pollution.
9. Check with your local pool specialist to learn how to operate your pool or spa in a safe and water-efficient manner.

Ways to save water indoors:

1. Install 1.6 gallons-per-flush, ultra-low-flow toilets. This cuts the amount of water that goes down the drain with each flush by 50 percent or more.
2. Don’t use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket.
3. Check your toilets for leaks. Put a few drops of food color in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl, you have a leak that is wasting many gallons of water a day. Replace the tank’s rubber flapper if it is causing the leak.
4. Take shorter showers. A typical shower uses 3 to 8 gallons of water per minute.
5. Limit showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down and rinse off. Better still, shut off the flow of water while soaping and shampooing. Turn the water back on to quickly rinse.
6. Install water-saving showerheads. All new shower heads use 2.5 gallons per minute or less.
7. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and while shaving.
8. Wet your brush and fill a glass for rinsing before you brush your teeth. Before shaving, fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of warm water.
9. Fully load your automatic dishwasher. Every time you run your dishwasher, you use about 25 gallons of water.
10. Install a high-efficiency clothes washer. These use up to 40 percent less water than a standard washer.
11. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator. This stops the wasteful practice of running tap water to cool it for drinking.
12. Don’t leave the rinse water running if you wash dishes by hand. Fill one sink with rinse water. If you have only one sink, first gather all your washed dishes in a dish rack, then rinse them quickly. Also, using the least amount of detergent necessary minimizes the rinse water needed.
13. Defrost frozen food without running water over the package. Place food in the refrigerator overnight or defrost it in the microwave.
14. Rinse vegetables in a filled sink or pan instead of under running water.
15. Fix leaking plumbing joints. This can save up to 20 gallons of water per day.

Water-Use Graphs

San Diego Water Usage


Typical Water Usage in a Single Family Home in San Diego County

Water Management

San Diego County has a semi-arid climate and a very small supply of local water. Between 75 and 95 percent of the county’s water is imported. Using water efficiently is a permanent way of life in our area. Making the most of every drop of water helps to protect San Diego’s nearly $100 billion economy and preserves the economy and our quality of life.

As much as 60 percent of residential water use goes to maintain outdoor landscaping, but here are significant ways to conserve water by learning the principles of water-wise gardening and applying water efficiently. Any garden can be designed to be water-efficient with proper planning.

Landscaping

Xeriscape Principles
Xeriscape refers to the principles of planning and maintaining water-efficient landscapes and comes from the Greek work “xeros” meaning “dry.”

Before beginning your low-water-use garden, take the following seven steps:

1. Planning and Design. Planning and design require the skilled coordination of all seven Xeriscape principles. Organizing a garden for aesthetics, practicality and most of all, water efficiency, can be complicated and is easier with the assistance of a professional. Work with your landscape architect or designer to create a tropical, cottage, Mediterranean, or any style Xeriscape garden you desire.
2. Practical Turf. Turf is the most water-thirsty landscape component. Design lawn areas for practical purposes; play, maintenance access and light traffic. For some homeowners, a front lawn is unnecessary and can be replaced with trees, shrubs, boulders and pathways, or mulched areas.
3. Efficient Irrigation. Many recent innovations in irrigation technology enable slow, steady and specific water application. Look for words such as “low gallonage” or “low application rate.” Consider drip systems for shrubs and trees, and always locate turf on a separate valve.
4. Soil Analysis. The addition of organic matter to the soil increases water retention and penetration. Get to know your soil and amend it prior to planting.
5. Mulching. Two to three inches of mulch will keep soil cool and reduce evapotranspiration and weed growth. Mulch can be rocks, wood chips, bark, or shredded wood.
6. Appropriate Plants. There is a place for every plant in a Xeriscape garden—when located correctly. Group plants according to their water and sun needs. This is called hydro-zoning. There are many interesting and colorful low-water-use plants now available. Take advantage of these whenever possible!
7. Ongoing Maintenance. Seasonal irrigation adjustments and efficiency checks are maintenance practices that save water. Organic fertilizers and composting will improve soil texture and maintain vigorous plant growth.

Benefits and Savings:

• Save money on your water bill. Using less water could mean significant potential cost savings.
• Lower landscaping costs. Your site looks healthier and more attractive when plants get the amount of water they need. Healthy landscaping needs fewer plant replacements, less fertilizer, and fewer chemicals. Properly watered landscape is better able to resist drought or temporary water shortages.
• Lower irrigation system maintenance. A balanced system needs less maintenance and requires a smaller repair budget.
• Fewer hardscape repairs. Sidewalks, driveways, wall, fences and buildings last longer with fewer repairs when overspray and runoff are reduced.
• Increased property value. Attractive landscaping is one of the best investments you can make and produces higher than average revenue and return on investment.

Practical gardening tips:

1. Seasonal reminders:
   1. Winter is a great time to establish new landscapes or plants and make major changes or repairs to irrigation systems. If winter rains are adequate, you may be able to turn off the automatic sprinkler system.
   2. Spring is the time to check the battery in your irrigation controller. Without a battery backup, a power failure could cause your irrigation timer to default to a built-in schedule that will apply more water than your landscape needs.
   3. In summer, continue to monitor water use and the irrigation system to make sure plants receive the moisture they need in an efficient manner.
   4. Fall is the time to gradually decrease water to your garden. Check soil moisture and condition of plants, especially during the Santa Ana winds.
2. Hardscaping (patios, decks, play areas, walkways, barbecue pits) can be a beautiful water-saving alternative to turf. Busy homeowners can incorporate low-maintenance designs into their yards without sacrificing beauty.
3. Irrigate only if needed to maintain some moisture in the soil – increase or shorten irrigation times as the amount of daylight increases and decreases.
4. You can add splashes of color to your garden with only small quantities of water-loving plants.
5. Pull weeds as soon as they appear.
6. Choose low-maintenance plants that require little irrigation.
7. Groundcovers are an excellent substitute for turf, and generally require less water and labor to maintain.

Gardens to visit for education and inspiration:

• The Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College – call 619-660-0614 for information
• Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas – call 760-436-3036 for information
• The Botanical Building in Balboa Park

Recommended Plants for Low-Water Gardens:

Groundcovers:
Gazania “Sunrise Yellow”	Gazania
Trailing Iceplant	Lampranthus spectabilis
Trailing African Daisy	Osteospermum fruticosum
Ivy Geranium	Pelargonium peltatum
Daylily	Hemerocallis hybrids
Lily-of-the-Nile	Agapanthus africanus
Mexican Evening Primrose	Oenothera berlandieri
Rosemary	Rosmarinus officinalis “Prostratus”
Verbena	Verbena rigida

Shrubs:
English Lavender	Lavendula augustifolia
Sword Fern	Nephrolepis cordifolia
Tam Juniper	Juniperus Sabina “Tamariscifolia”
California Lilac	Ceanothus “Concha”
Heavenly Bamboo	Nandina domestica
Yew Pine	Podocarpus macrophyllus
Wormwood	Artemisia
Xylosma	Xylosma congestum
Natal Plum	Carissa grandiflora
Wild Lilac	Ceaonthus spp.
Rockrose	Cistus hybrids
Pride of Madeira	Echium fastuosum
Cape Plumbago	Plumbago auriculata
Bottlebrush	Callistemon
Toyon	Heteromeles arbutifolia
Oleander	Nerium oleander
Xylosma	Pittosporum tobira
Dwarf Mock Orange	Pittosporum t. “Wheeler’s Dwarf”
Creeping Coprosma	Coprosma kirkii
Lantana	Lantana camara “Carnival”
Indian Hawthorne	Raphiolepis indica
Prostrate Acacia	Acacia redolens

Trees:
Pink Melaleuca	Melaleuca nesophila
Canary Island Pine	Pinus canariensis
Floss Silk Tree	Chorisia speciosa
Eucalyptus	Eucalyptus spp.
Jacaranda	Jacaranda mimosifolia
Catalina Ironwood	Lyonathammus floribundus
Lemon Gum	Eucalyptus citriodora
Mexican Fan Palm	Washingtonia robusta
Aleppo Pine	Pinus halepensis
Australian Willow	Geijera parviflora
Lemon Bottlebrush	Callistemon citrinus

Vines:
Bougainvillea	Bougainvillea
Common Trumpet Creeper	Campis radicans
Hall’s Honeysuckle	Lonicera japonica “Halliana”
Cup-of-Gold Vine	Solandra maxima
Cape Honeysuckle	Tecomaria capensis
Wisteria	Wisteria spp.

Perennials:
Coreopsis	Coreopsis
Blanket Flower	Gaillardia grandiflora
Sea Lavender	Limonium perezii
Sage	Salvia spp
California Fuchsia	Zauschneria

Hot Water Recirculation Program

PROBLEM:
The necessity to conserve water, a precious resource, subject to the demands of an arid desert environment and the current and future shortages of local and outlying water supplies. The demands of the City’s water supply will not decline, but increase, due to population growth and future reduction of water supplies from the Colorado River system. These findings indicate a clear need to implement water conservation measures.

SOLUTION
Addition of a requirement that all new development of single-family and multi-family residential units shall include hot-water-pipe insulation and installation of a hot-water-recirculation device or other device or design to provide hot water to tap within 15 seconds.

Specific data on verifiable water savings for hot-water-recirculation devices or other devices or designs and pipe insulation is not yet available as it is for other conservation devices such as ultra-low-flush toilets, showerheads, and high-efficiency clothes washers. However, since it is known that most users run water directly from the tap to the sewer while waiting for hot water, it can be concluded that new homes should be constructed to minimize this waste. The requirement to limit the amount of time necessary for hot water to reach the tap by requiring the installation of a hot-water-recirculation device or other device or design and hot-water-pipe insulation in all new development of single-family and multi-family residential units will reduce water waste.

EXPECTED OUTCOME OF PROGRAM
The Water Utilities Department estimates annual construction of new single-family and multi-family residential connections at 550 units. Staff estimates potential savings realized from the installation of hot-water-recirculation devices alone to be 13,000 gallons of water per year, per household. Over a one-year period, 550 new residential connections will result in projected savings of 7,150,000 gallons of water per year, valued at $11,431 (approximately $21 per household). Fiscal impacts cannot be fully determined until the standards, devices and design criteria have been established and the program implemented. Consumer costs for installation and maintenance will also be dependent upon the performance standards, water conservation device, and the design that is used by the developer.

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION:
To ensure the success of the program, a series of meeting were held with construction firms, the Building Industry Association, and the Plumbing and Heating Contractors Association and Copper Institute to discuss the program. As a result of those meetings, a new approach to water conservation was developed using performance standards in lieu of mandated installation requirements. Under the proposed alternate methodology, buildings can be designed and other devices can be used to achieve the intended water savings without mandating a prescriptive standard. This allows flexibility and cost-efficiency without compromising the underlying intent, the provision of hot water to the tap within a limited time period to conserve water.

CALIFORNIA WATER CODE:
Section 375 (b) of the California Water Code authorizes the City to require the installation of water-saving devices that are designed to reduce water consumption in connection with its water conservation program. Section 37.102(b) of the Oceanside City Code, which requires the installation of low-flow showerheads and ultra-low-flush toilets for new construction, was enacted pursuant to Section 375(b) of the Water Code. Similarly, a hot-water-recirculation device or other conservation device or design, which would provide hot water to the tap within a minimum time frame, would also reduce water consumption.

The proposed ordinance shall apply to all new development of single-family and multi-family residential units that do not have an approved Final Map prior to the effective date of this ordinance, or when a Final Map is not required, that do not have a Building Permit Application on file prior to the effective date of this ordinance. The effective date of this ordinance is March 20, 2002.