Conservation is an essential tool in managing our diverse supplies of high-quality drinking water. It also helps preserve our local aquifers for future generations.
From irrigation adjustments to fixing leaky faucets, see our tips for simple ways to conserve water inside and outside your home or business.
Outdoor Conservation Tips
Install Conservation-Friendly Landscapes
- Use plants that are easily sustained in the Texas Hill Country environment. Many colorful, easily managed trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses suit the Texas Hill Country well. For a guide on easily sustained plants in the Texas Hill Country, check out our Plant List.
Hardscapes can help conserve water because you must irrigate one less yard area.
To learn more, review our Hardscape List.
Lawn Watering
- Water your lawn only when it needs it.
Overwatering the lawn is a common wasteful practice. Step on your lawn; if the grass springs back up when you remove the pressure, it doesn’t need watering. - Water during the cool part of the day
Any place of business with a ¾” or larger water meter: volume charge based upon the previous month’s water consumption for each connection. Set your irrigation schedule for the season and your local conditions
Watering times will vary by season, climate, soil, and plant type.
Replace sprinklers with drip irrigation when possible
Use drip irrigation for trees, shrubs, and flowerbeds. Drip systems use less water and direct water where the plant requires it.
- Check your irrigation system often for broken sprinkler heads and irrigation tubing.
Broken sprinkler heads wastewater and can potentially damage your landscape. Check sprinkler heads, drip system emitters, and lines for breaks and cracks. - Install shut‐off nozzles on all garden hoses
Make sure your garden hose has an automatic shut‐off. - Don’t water the pavement.
When your irrigation system is on, position sprinkler heads to water lawns and gardens, not the pavement surrounding your landscape. Tune sprinkler heads so that the radius of the spray is appropriate for the application. To minimize runoff, try to keep a planted buffer between the lawn and the sidewalk.
- Avoid runoff on slopes.
Try to avoid planting on slopes (especially lawns). If your lawn or garden is already on a slope, you can reduce your watering times, so that excess water does not run off. Create basins around plants to catch water and prevent runoff.
Property Maintenance
- Don’t let the water run while wa
shing the car
Clean the car with a bucket of soapy water; use the hose only to rinse it off. - Use a pool cover.
Pool covers will prevent evaporation and decrease heat loss, saving water and energy. - Replace your swimming pool filter.
Sand and Diatomaceous Earth (DE) pool filters require backwashing. You can save up to 20,000 gallons a year by replacing these filters with a cartridge filter.
Other Helpful Conservation Links
Here are some links to sites with more information to help you conserve water: