water wise

Years ago my home state of Minnesota was experiencing a drought. Imagine that-a state with 11,842 lakes experiencing a drought! I know the license plate says "Land of Ten Thousand Lakes" but I'm sure being typical Minnesotans they were hesitant to guess and more hesitant to brag-so instead of 11,842 it was a modest 10,000. But, the drought made an impression on me that water was precious.

With California in a severe drought the new technology being developed to fill our need for water has become more important and more urgent. Desalination is very promising but will not be able to take care of our needs in the short-term. While we wait for the snow of next season (and the El Nino effect), or other remedies, we must conserve water. It not only is the right thing to do but it will save us money. (I had a broken pipe last year and almost fainted when I saw the bill.)

The most important thing to do is to check for leaky faucets and toilets, and repair them. It is amazing how much water can be lost due to a constant drip. One drip per second from your faucet adds up to 5 gallons in one day! Installing drip watering systems helps direct the water to the plants you want to thrive. Adjust your sprinklers to just water the lawn. In fact, cut back on watering and don't scalp the lawn-leave it at least 3 inches tall to protect the lawn from the drying sun and wind, and save water.

Older toilets should be replaced with a water-wise toilet. Right now there is a program for a rebate on toilets purchased to replace old water guzzling ones. We carry the 1.28 gallons per flush toilets that are eligible for a rebate of $125.00 per toilet which almost covers the expense of the new toilet. Call your local water district for details. (By the way, we owe a debt of gratitude to Thomas Crapper, the man who improved the flush valve and made the indoor toilet possible.)

A lot of our customers are replacing lawns with decorative rock, concrete or stepping stones thereby avoiding the water issue for large areas. We have rain barrels available through our warehouse that can hold up to 75 gallons-fill them for free in the rainy season and use the water as needed in summer.

Come see us. We have what you need to be water wise, whether it is repairing toilets, sprinklers, and faucets; improving your drip water systems; or replacing lawns with decorative rock.

Start right, start here. Pioneer True Value Home Center, 20901 South Street in Old Town.