You may think that Atlantic County enjoys an abundant freshwater supply, with 13 wells and the Kuehnle Pond and Doughty Pond dams. However, learning how to conserve water helps protect the environment and saves you money.

State officials have been concerned during recent years and even maintain a website dedicated to identifying drought areas. Water restriction orders were put into place as recently as 2017.

Tips to Conserve Water in New Jersey

The NJ Department of Environmental Protection offers some excellent advice on water conservation. Best of all they also provide the savings benefits from doing so:

Kitchen tips

For saving water in the kitchen, they recommend these tips:

  • Only running the dishwasher when it’s completely full

  • Upgrading to a high-efficiency dishwasher

  • Adding a low flow faucet and/or faucet aerator to the sink

  • Chilling drinking water in the fridge instead of running the faucet

  • Defrosting food in the refrigerator instead of using running water

  • Starting a compost pile instead of flushing food waste down the disposal

  • Sealing up any plumbing leaks immediately

Laundry room tips

You can conserve water use in the laundry room by following these tips:

  • Run the washing machine only when it’s full

  • Alternatively, adjust the water level in the machine for small loads

  • Install a high-efficiency washing machine that uses less water

Bathroom tips

More than half of water use in the home happens in the bathroom. Conserve water in the bathroom with these tips:

  • Switch to a low-flow toilet that uses less water

  • Install a low-flower shower head

  • Reduce showering times to five minutes

  • Turn off the water when brushing your teeth

  • Don’t flush waste that can be hygienically discarded in the trash instead

  • Fix any running toilets immediately

  • Repair leaking toilets

Tips for Conserving Water Outdoors

We often spend a lot of time outdoors during the summer. Sometimes, however, we end up wasting water on accident while doing chores or just having some fun.

Conserving water and having fun

Cooling off is part of many summertime outdoor recreational activities. But you’ll need to make sure you’re conserving water while still having a blast.

  • Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation and the need to refill your pool

  • Avoid lawn toys like water slides and sprinklers that require a constant stream of water to work

Gardening tips

Summer means vegetable gardens and flower borders, but it’s important to try to conserve water and not use up potable supplies.

The following tips help you reduce water usage outdoors:

  • Route runoff water from your condensate drain to fruit trees and bushes

  • Plan bedding and vegetable plots that combine plants with similar watering needs

  • Consider adding native species and drought-tolerant plants and grasses to reduce the need for watering

  • Only water in the early morning or in the evening to reduce water loss from evaporation

  • Use mulch around landscape plants to prevent evaporation and keep the soil cool and moist

  • Amend garden beds with organic matter to increase their water retention ability

  • Watering vegetables at the root zone instead of overhead sprinklers both reduces water usage and helps prevent diseases from killing your plants

  • Install a rain barrel for watering ornamental plants instead of using potable water from the public supply

Outdoor job tips

Summer brings extra yard work and exterior maintenance on your home. Conserve water while you work by making thoughtful choices.

  • Don’t use a hose to clean up grass from walkways, paths, and driveways. Instead, use a broom to sweep up any grass clippings. Adding them to your garden beds also feeds the soil and helps it retain more moisture.

  • Washing your car is easy and fun, but commercial car washes recycle gray water. Save waxing, polishing, and detailing for the driveway if you enjoy cleaning your car at home.

  • Raise your mower blade for longer grass. This encourages deeper root growth, which reduces the need for more frequent watering.

  • Avoid overfeeding your lawn. You’ll need to water it in to activate it. If possible, apply lawn food before it’s forecast to rain.

  • If you have a lawn irrigation system, add a WaterSense controller. WaterSense controllers gather data about soil moisture levels or weather conditions to make informed decisions about when to irrigate.

Other WaterSense Upgrades

One way to conserve water is to upgrade to WaterSense products throughout your home. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) endorses these products because they use less water than traditional models.

These certified products include everything from toilets to faucets to showerheads to sprinkler heads. Certified products are usually 20 percent more water-efficient than typical models.

Make an appointment today with the plumbing pros at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Pleasantville. Our licensed technicians can help you conserve water by installing water-saving fixtures and fixing leaks in your home’s plumbing.