Using a Hose
Many people don't realize that water can flow from a hose at the rate of over 10 gallons per minute. So if you are careless for just a few minutes, the water waste really adds up. You don't have to keep turning the faucet on and off. Just put a spray nozzle with a shut off handle on your hose. It's much easier.
Car Washing
When washing a car, use the hose to wet it down. Fill a bucket with soap and water then shut off the water. After soaping the car, use the hose to rinse it. In the 15 minutes (or more) it takes to wash the car, you could save over 150 gallons of water.
Better still, use a bucket or two of water and don't use your hose at all. A car can be cleaned easily this way.
Cleaning
Use a broom or blower to clean off your driveway and sidewalk. It works just as well and doesn't use gallons of water to do it.
Water Toys
Children love to play in water on hot summer days. On your assigned watering days, let them run through the sprinklers or use a "slip and slide" type of toy. On your non-watering days, children might play in a wading pool. Teach your children to turn the water off after filling the pool. And, when they are finished, reuse the water for washing the car, bathing the dog or watering the trees and shrubs.
