January – Prevent frozen pipes by opening your cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate near your pipes.
February – During extreme cold snaps, you may need to let a faucet drip to prevent frozen pipes. When you do that, put a bucket in the sink or bathtub to catch that water. Then use the water to flush the toilet or water indoor plants. Don’t let all those drips go to waste!
March – Wash that winter grime off your car by visiting a water-efficient car wash. Denver Water maintains a list of car washes that recycle water, saving 60 percent or more than conventional car washes, as well as a list of car washes that use at least 30 percent less water than conventional car washes.
April – Replace your existing turf spray nozzles with rotary nozzles and cut your water use by 30 percent. Rotary nozzles apply water more slowly and uniformly than spray nozzles. Denver Water offers a rebate for rotary nozzles ($5 each/minimum of four), which will help reduce runoff and wind drift while saving water.
May – Don’t set it and forget it! You should water your grass less in May than you would in July. Adjust your irrigation timers each month to account for weather and precipitation changes. And remember, lawn watering is not allowed between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
June – Add a layer of organic mulch around plants and trees to reduce evaporation and save hundreds of gallons of water a year. If you are adding or replacing flowers, shrubs, trees or turf, choose low-water loving species. Ideas abound at the Denver Water Xeriscape demonstration garden. Also, if you're going out of town for a summer vacation, make sure someone is keeping an eye on your irrigation system. Summer power failures can reset your sprinklers and cost you money!
July – Use the catch-can test to make sure your lawn is using only what it needs. Keep your lawn mower blade height on the highest setting. Longer blades of grass will keep the soil cooler, so less moisture will be lost to evaporation from the soil surface. Sharp mower blades provide a clean cut so the grass blades do not brown up on the edges.
August – To save water indoors, reduce the number of times you run your garbage disposal by composting your non-salty, non-greasy, non-dairy foods. Even if you live in an apartment, you can still compost by learning to do worm-composting. Ask your Colorado State University Cooperative Extension agent for more details.
September – Check your water consumption history. By tracking your water usage over time, you will stay alert to unusual changes that may signal a leak or other water-wasting problems.
October – Now is the perfect time to winterize your sprinkler system. Turn off the water, drain the valves and blow out the lines with compressed air. Also disconnect, drain and roll up garden hoses and put away.
November – Did you know a leaky toilet can waste more than 100,000 gallons of water a year? Check your toilet for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank and waiting 5 to 10 minutes. If the color shows up in the toilet bowl, you have a leak. Replace that leaky toilet with help from a Denver Water rebate.
December – You may need to hand water trees once a month in the winter if we experience an extended dry period without snow and temperatures are consistently above 40 degrees.