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Sacramento kept sprinklers off, saw savings soar

Area residents cut water use 22% in dry November

Sacramento Digs Gardening
BY Debbie Arrington PUBLISHED JAN 4, 2022

Lawn irrigation and other water uses were reduced

by Sacramento-area residents 22% in November.

(Photo: Kathy Morrison)

Good job, Sacramento-area water savers!

After crunching the numbers, Sacramento’s water watchers reported more huge savings by Sacramento-area residents. Apparently, October’s heavy rainfall carried over to water savings in November, which was unusually dry.

According to the Regional Water Authority, which represents 20 local water providers, Sacramento-area water use was down 22% in November compared to November 2020. That’s triple the statewide average, which saw overall California water use down 6.8% in November compared to a year earlier.

Sacramento’s savings are on top of a 13% drop in regional water use since the last drought.

Paired with a wet December, those savings put Sacramento-area residents in a good place, water-wise. But we could still do more.

“We’re asking everyone to keep up the great work by turning sprinklers off during rain and fixing household leaks,” said Amy Talbot, RWA’s water efficiency program manager. “We know through research that it’s easy for people to ignore those annoying little faucet and shower drips. But it’s important to remember that all of those little drips can quickly add up and that fixing leaks is often easier than you think.”

A leaky or running toilet is the most common household leak, Talbot said. Such leaks can waste 200 gallons a day. Following toilets are dripping faucets and shower heads.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 10% of homes have leaks that can waste 90 gallons or more per day, she added. That’s enough to fill 1,440 glasses of water – each day! In one week, it’s enough water to irrigate 126 full-size tomato plants.

Water providers offer several ways to help local residents including rebates and water-wise house calls to search for potential leaks and savings. Upgrade your irrigation system with rebates, too.

Find water-wise tips, rebate information and how-to videos at BeWaterSmart.info .

In related news, the State Water Resources Control Board just Tuesday adopted drought rules outlawing water wasting, including overwatering lawns or hosing down sidewalks. Fines up to $500 are possible. See the Bee's story here.

Gov. Gavin Newsom had set a goal of a 15% reduction, which the Sacramento area met and surpassed. The statewide total for November, as the Bee's Dale Kasler reports, was just 6.8%; Southern California actually increased water consumption by 0.8%.

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Keywords:

wet weather gardening Sacramento drought water conservation overwatering. water waste Regional Water Authority rainfall State Water Resources Board

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Garden Checklist for week of May 19

Temperatures will be a bit higher than normal in the afternoons this week. Take care of chores early in the day – then enjoy the afternoon. It’s time to smell the roses.

* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. If you haven’t already, it’s time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.

* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.

* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.

* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters.

* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.

* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.

* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.

* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.

* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.

* Don’t forget to water. Seedlings need moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants.

* Add mulch to the garden to help keep that precious water from evaporating. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.

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