Summer Activity Guide That Conserves Water

There’s a lot of changes around this time of year. The kids are home all day, the days are longer and hotter, the rain is less frequent, and the weather can be magnificent. It’s summer when you now have the chance to do more things with your family, whether that’s at home or on a well-earned vacation.

But along with summer come some demands on the resources of your home, especially if you have a property with lawns, trees or other types of vegetation. Those longer days are great for growth, but the general decrease in rain during summer means you need to use your home’s water supply to keep your plants healthy. Does this mean your water bill must unavoidably rise? There are a few things you can to keep water usage under control but still, have fun.

Get a Rain Barrel

Usually, when it rains, far more water than plants can use hits the ground. What the plants can’t absorb eventually either drains into the ground or evaporates, never to be used again. But if you get a rain barrel installed on your property, you have a great auxiliary source of water.

It’s not advised to use this rain barrel as a potable water source for drinking or cooking. But if you’re just putting it on plants, this is incredibly efficient because it’s free! Now all those gallons you had to pay for that came out of your hose or sprinkler can be used instead for more fun for the kids when they feel like running through the sprinkler.

Create A Mud Pit & Car Wash

If your kids have toy vehicles or other diversions that can safely be washed in water, try this water-based activity. Get a container and fill it with dirt, which you then add water to to create a mud pit. Your kids can take their cars or other toys and run them through the mud and enjoy themselves without fussing about the mess since it’s outside.

Once that’s done, the second phase kicks in. You have another container or series of containers with water and possibly soap. Now after all that play in the mud, it’s time to clean those cars, planes and other toys in the wash, ready for another round in the mud. This activity also keeps water use to a minimum.

Be Smart About Watering Plants

If you want to save your water for more fun pursuits like letting the kids use it for a water slide or other activities, then constantly watering your plants can be a big drain. However, if you’re smart about when you water your plants, you can decrease the need to hydrate them.

By scheduling your plants for a watering either in the morning or the evening, you bypass the hottest time of the day. That means that the water doesn’t evaporate as quickly, and your plants, once soaked, enjoy more time to absorb the water. Also waiting for the sprinklers to turn on can be a double whammy, as you jump around and get wet, your grass is nourished.