As summer heat increases, it may be tempting to use more water, especially on lawns and gardens, or for playing in pools and sprinklers.  For the sake of our local water supplies, consider taking the following actions instead:

• Take a sprinkler break. Grass doesn’t have to be bright green year-round. It’s natural for it to turn a little brown at the tips during summer’s hottest months. You can cut back on watering and still maintain a healthy lawn.  Remember, it takes just 1″ of water per week to keep a lawn looking great. For every 20-minute watering session missed, you could save 2,500 gallons of water or more!

• Consider an upgrade. If you’re thinking about a bathroom update, now is the time to replace old plumbing fixtures with water-saving models. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense^® Program labels toilets, faucets, and showerheads that have been independently certified to perform well and use less water and energy than the standard ones.

• Follow the rules. Pay attention to town water restrictions, which save limited supplies for those who need it most, including firefighters, hospitals, and utilities. Please respect requests to use less water on your lawns, cars, and other outdoor uses.

• Go the extra mile. If you want to go above and beyond, you can collect water in a bucket while waiting for the shower to warm up or when washing pots, and use it to water container plants or flower beds. Use your imagination to come up with creative ways to save water or visit epa.gov/watersense/our_water/drought.html.

In the future, consider landscaping with native plants that are drought tolerant. Learn more at www.epa.gov/watersense/outdoor/landscaping_tips.html.