Outdoors

How many times have you seen a person hosing off a driveway or sidewalk? A sprinkler hitting the pavement as often as the lawn? Or someone washing a car with the hose running? These are all–too–common examples of water waste.

They're also common examples of summer watering activities. Summer is peak water use time, when we spend more time outdoors, cleaning and tending to our lawns, gardens, vehicles, pools, and more. In fact, water use in the Portland metro area can more than double in the summer — an especially big problem because of the limited storage capacity of our reservoirs and the lack of summer rainfall in the Pacific Northwest.

That's why summer is also the peak time for outdoor water conservation, when small steps can make a big difference in overall water use.

Remember those water wasters we mentioned? Instead of hosing off that driveway or sidewalk, sweep it clean. Instead of sprinkling water on pavement, aim it at its intended target. And instead of washing a car with the hose running, fill up a bucket or two of water — that's all you really need.

We've compiled a list of Outdoor Conservation Tips that can help you save hundreds of gallons of water and help prevent over watering, which is the most common summertime water waster.