SPOKANE, Wash. – The amount of water homeowners use to keep their lawns green often spikes in the summertime, and with the high temperatures, the increasing use of water often leads to wasted resources.
While using water efficiently throughout the year is important, sometimes the timing of water use makes a large difference for community water supplies.
“Our Spokane River is hydrologically connected to our aquifer. So, everything we pump affects our river flows. If you’re pumping during the middle of the day, a lot of that water evaporates with the high heat and temperature,” Katelyn Scott, the water protector for Spokane Riverkeeper, said.
Scott told NonStop Local that conserving water in the high heat also can positively impact water bills.
“The City of Spokane, in particular, also has some really cool rebates. If you implement some water conservation measures in your outdoor garden, they will give you some utility rebates, so you can see an even bigger impact on your water bill,” Scott said.
In 2015, the United States Geological Survey conducted a study on water usage.
The study found that Spokane residents use about 231 gallons per day, which is three times the national average of 81 gallons per day.
Kootenai County residents used 251 gallons per day.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), experts estimate that 50% of the water homeowners use outside goes to waste from runoff due to over-watering or evaporation.
“So, here in Spokane, we really only need about half an inch of water every three days for your lawn. That is a really small amount and really only amounts to watering for a very short period of time. Once every couple days… We see watering in the middle of the day, which, just like we’re out here sweating in the sun, you’ll see your lawn, which evaporates out into the air as well. It doesn’t absorb at all. And that’s just wasted water,” Scott said.
Adjusting when, how much or how often one waters can be good ways to lower water usage to create a healthier landscape.
