Green Hints to Save Water: Outdoor Watering

Minimize grassy areas. Use drought-tolerant plants and native plants in your landscaping. Group plants according to their watering needs. Use mulch around the plants to reduce evaporation.

Most lawns only need about 1" of water each week. Use a rain gauge to determine how much water your yard has received. If you have to water, water in the early morning or evening when evaporation is the lowest , and install drip irrigation systems which use 30-50% less water. Early morning is generally preferable to dusk since it helps in preventing the growth of fungus. It is best not to water when it's windy � wind can blow sprinklers off target and speed up evaporation.