As the days grow longer and the sun begins to warm the Earth, thoughts will turn to summer rituals such as gardening and lawn mowing. Homeowners, in fact, are increasing their investments in exterior landscapes, which require significant amounts of water.  

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, one-quarter of water usage irrigates landscapes of home and business owners. Lawn watering accounts for about 8 billion gallons of water a day nationwide, or the equivalent of 14 billion six packs of beer, writes engineer Amy Vickers in the AWWA Journal when describing America’s biggest drinking problem to her readers.

Part of those landscapes, according to the article, includes about 4 million homes with water features growing to 16 million in 2003. Waterscapes also can impact the level of water used during a typical watering season. Some municipalities have implemented conservation measures, such as limiting the number of water days, restricting the area allowed for turf, and promoting natural lawns and landscapes that require only rainwater to survive.

While Oak Creek does not rely on such methods due our plentiful supply of clean, safe drinking water, we can only benefit from conservation of water. The benefits would manifest in the form of reduced electrical costs for pumping and reduced infrastructure costs. For more information on what you can do to reduce the amount of water used and save money on your water bill, please contact the Oak Creek Water Utility at 570-8210.