Ways Your Homeowners Association Can Help Conserve Water

Do you keep your water running when doing the dishes? Do you wash half loads of laundry? Do you enjoy extra-long, hot showers to start your day? In the midst of the California drought, residents are learning to cultivate new habits to conserve water as a result of the Governor’s statewide declaration requiring Californians to save water in every way possible.

Even before the water regulations brought on by the drought, homeowners associations have been asked to promote water conservation in their communities. This isn’t always well-received by homeowners or HOA board members because they already feel like the HOA has too much control, or they simply don’t understand what’s at stake and that there are laws involved.

In an effort to keep residents informed and obey the law, the article below discusses ways your homeowners association can be an active part of the water conservation effort.

Posted by: ECHO

California Drought: What Can Your HOA Do To Save Water?

We’ve put together a list of five affordable methods to conserve water in your association. We believe that everyone should follow these steps, whether you’re an individual maintaining your front yard or an HOA managing the landscape around the pool (or any other common areas). For board members and managers, we recommend sending this list to your HOA membership in your next newsletter, so your whole community can make an impact on the environment.

Water Less Often

According to the EPA, about 50% of water used on lawns and landscaping is wasted as run-off or evaporation. To help control water waste, water manually for as long as possible, at least into the early summer. Try only watering once every two weeks during this time to further reduce water use. 

When the lawn starts showing signs of stress (i.e. browning, dry spots, etc.), it’s time to turn the irrigation system back on automatic. Start off small at just one day a week, and continue until you notice the lawn stressing again. Add another day (so you’re watering twice a week), and keep this up for as long as your lawn will allow before adding a third day. Try to avoid adding more than three days altogether. In fact, some cities have a limit on how many days homeowners can water, so make sure your HOA stays within legal limits.

Treat Shrubs Differently from Lawns

Not all plants were created equally and should therefore be managed differently. Watering your shrubbery at the same time and for the same duration as your lawn can lead to water waste in two ways:

1. Shrubs consume water much slower than turf grass
2. Shrub roots go much deeper than grass, giving them a much larger water reservoir

[See more at: California Drought: What Can Your HOA Do to Save Water?]

Your HOA board can start conserving water on a daily basis by making an active effort to educate the HOA membership, keep them updated on any foreseen changes the homeowners association will be making, and thanking them for their participation to make a positive impact in their community. Every drop counts!