Every drop counts, every day
By Cheryl Buckwalter
It’s not a matter of starting and stopping our efforts regarding the need to save water in California. It’s a constant – a situation or state of affairs that does not change. When it comes to using water in our landscapes, making water conservation a
California way of life is here to stay. This is becoming our constant.
It's also no longer a matter of if or when we will experience drought and drastic temperature fluctuations. These extreme weather conditions will happen again. I know it might sound serious, but let's take a closer look at how we use water, one of our most valuable resources. If we save water regularly, we are moving in a good direction, and that makes us feel great.
Whenever I turn on the tap, hose bib, or irrigation system, I ask: How efficiently am I using this water? How can I save more of it? How can I reuse it? How can I consume less and still have a beautiful landscape? The answers are surprisingly easy to find. For instance, when making hard-boiled eggs recently, I realized this potable water is often used once and poured down the drain. Plants in my home and garden are high priorities, so I let that water cool, and then into the watering can it goes.
Using water wisely is much easier to do the more we do it. It becomes part of our everyday routine. For example, my routine is always to lock my car, no matter how short or long I have it parked somewhere. Then, I never question whether I’ve locked it because it’s my routine. I don’t become complacent either, thinking that nothing will happen this one time if I don’t lock the doors. That would be not very careful. I know this is one action I can take to have the best chance of controlling the outcome and, for me, this applies to saving water in my landscape as well.
I imagine your family has come up with some creative ways to save water and how to share the importance of water conservation with others. Here’s an example of what my family did one-fourth of July: My brother-in-law’s beach town was having a sand sculpture contest. We all came up with a theme, and, of course, being the water conservation geek I am, I proposed “Conserve. Every drop counts”. My theme was chosen! We shaped a spigot with a drop of water, wrote the message and framed our masterpiece with seaweed. You might be asking, “Did you win?” No, we came in second, but we sure felt like winners, and it was a lot of fun!
When you choose to make water conservation a part of your everyday life in California, you can feel proud of how much water you and your family are saving. Your plants will also look healthy and beautiful because you won't be overwatering them. Plus, your landscape will be better prepared for extreme weather conditions in the future. Let's remember to value every drop of water and make a difference each day!
How can you make water conservation a way of life? Visit
roseville.ca.us/savewater for programs, rebates, and water-saving tips.