• Sweep sidewalks and driveways rather than spraying them clean with water.
• Check and fix leaky hoses and faucets. To find out just how much water is being wasted visit the WaterWiser Drip Calculator page.
• Don’t run the hose when washing the car. Instead try using a bucket of soapy water. Use the hose only to rinse.
• Cover pools and hot tubs when not in use to prevent evaporation.
• Drain outside spigots to prevent freezing in the winter.
• For more information on outdoor irrigation please visit www.h2ouse.org.

Tips on how to conserve water when gardening:

• Use native plants where possible. Natives tend to be more resistnat to drought and provide better habitat for local wildlife.
• Water your plants during the cool part of the day. Watering in the morning or evening can reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation by as much as 30%. Morning watering is best since it helps to deter fungus growth. In support of this concept, Moscow City Ordinance 2007-13 allows watering with sprinkler systems ONLY between the hours of 6 PM and 10 AM.
• Remember to mulch around plants and trees. Mulching will retain soil moisture by slowing water lost to evaporation. In addition to conserving water, mulching also increases organic matter in the soil and discourages weed growth.
• Leave a little extra length on the lawn. Cutting the grass shorter than 2.5 inches increases the amount of water lost to soil evaporation.
• Aerate clayey soils. Clay soils have a tendency to absorb water slowly, as a result water can pool or be lost as run-off. Aerating clay soils once a year allows for better infiltration and less water waste.
• Use sprinklers that produce large raindrops. Larger raindrops are heavier and less easily influenced by the wind than smaller drops.
• Call the Moscow Water Department at 208-892-8624 for a free irrigation audit of your automatic sprinkler system.
• If it doesn’t grow, don’t water it. Make sure your sprinklers are hitting the soil, not concrete.
• When watering, soak the soil. A light sprinkling of water does not allow for moisture to infiltrate into the root zone of the soil. In fact, much of the water from a light sprinkle is lost to evaporation. Deep watering also encourages deeper root growth. Typically, turf grass needs no more than an inch of water per week; this can vary depending on turf type and sun exposure.
• Arrange plants into similar water requiring zones. This makes automatic watering easier without compromising plant health.
• Healthier soils hold more moisture and give life to healthier plants. When establishing a new lawn, add a high-quality topsoil to retain soil moisture. In established lawns, add compost to keep and improve soil quality.
• Landscape with plants that do not require a lot of water, also known as Xeriscaping.

Click here for more information on Xeriscaping.  For examples of low water requiring plants please click here. For more information please visit these website below:

http://www.h2ouse.org/tour/landscaping.cfm information about Xeriscaping with other outdoor conservation tips

http://www.harvesth2o.com/ information about rain barrels

http://snow.ag.uidaho.edu/irrigation/frame.html- local site on irrigation with tips on amount of water to use

http://www.uidaho.edu/extension/lawn/- local site with automatic system and hose irrigation calculators

http://extension.ag.uidaho.edu/butte/Home%20irrigation.htm- local site on lawn irrigation

http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/magazine/winter2004/conserving.html- local site on plant preferences and lawn care advice

http://www.uky.edu/Agriculture/ukturf/Home%20Pubs.htm- tips for the grassy lawn

American Society of Landscape Architects Green Roof Projects

For further information or assistance in Water Conservation please call Nichole Baker at (208) 883-7114 or stop by the Water Department at 120 West A Street between the hours of 7 AM and 4 PM.