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It Takes All of Us to Save Georgia's Water

No one is immune to the effects of the drought. With river and reservoir levels dropping everyday, Gov. Sonny Purdue needs us all to act to combat one of the worst droughts in Georgia’s history. Visit conservewatergeorgia.net.

1. Wash only full loads of dishes and laundry. You’ll not only save water, but energy as well.

2. Take a shower instead of a bath. Filling the bathtub uses about 50 gallons of water and you can save 30 gallons by taking a shower.

3. Shorten your shower to 5 minutes. Cut back on your shower time and you will rack up big savings in water and energy. Also, install a water-saving showerhead that uses 2.5 gallons/minute.

4. Think before you flush. Every flush you eliminate can save between 2 and 7 gallons of water.

5. Fix leaking faucets and toilets. An average of 8 percent of all home water use is wasted through leaks. Test for a leaking toilet by putting a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. Wait a few minutes, and then look in the bowl. If the food coloring has made its way there, you have a leak.

6. Help your plants use less water. Cut back annuals and perennials during dry spells. They’ll bounce back when it rains again.

7. Collect water for your plants. You’ll be surprised at how much drips from your air conditioner, and at how much you catch in a rain barrel under downspouts. Reuse clean water by collecting what is wasted while waiting for the hot water to reach your showerhead.

8. Prioritize plants. When water is scarce, give it to your valuable or irreplaceable trees and shrubs first. Don’t worry about annuals and turf grasses that are easy to replace. (61779-01)      

9. Don’t stress your plants by fertilizing them when you can’t add water. Set your mower blade high to keep your lawn alive during a drought.

10. Mulch your trees pine straw, bark chips or shredded hardwood. Use newspapers underneath for moisture retention. <<