While it’s true that Colorado is completely drought-free for the first time in four years (👏), the Colorado River is still facing a water supply crisis thanks to two decades of drought and overuse. Here are some around-the-house tips from our friends at the Colorado Sun for how YOU can help conserve water:
🪴 Consider water-wise landscaping: planting grasses and flowers native to the area (instead of the traditional Kentucky bluegrass) and that don’t require excessive watering.
- Pro-tip: Sign up to buy a seasonal “Garden In a Box” and pick from a variety of professionally designed, low-water plant collections. They come with easy-to-follow planting instructions and yield a seriously gorgeous water-saving grass replacement.
🚿 Take shorter showers, turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth and in between dishes you’re washing, and only run the dishwasher when it’s full.
- ❗ According to the EPA, “if all 300 million people in the U.S. reduced their shower time by one minute each time, the country could save 170 billion gallons each year.”
🚽 Opt for a high efficiency toilet. According to the CO Sun article, “[toilets] made before 1993 use 3.5 to 8 gallons per flush, while high efficiency toilets made after 1993 use 1.6 gallons per flush or less.”
🫧 Front-loading washing machines use less water than conventional top-loading ones.
♻️ Did you know Denver county has approved “graywater” use? That’s when you install a home system that captures runoff water from showers and sinks, and reuse it for watering the lawn or flushing the toilet. (Note: Switching to this system is very pricey!)
