Tips for a Fun Summer Without Wasting Water

Summer in Alberta means longer, hotter, and often drier days as the rain becomes less frequent. For people in Calgary, this means enjoying a dry heat during the summer, but it can also mean that water usage can become an issue as rainfall becomes scarce.

This is especially true for homeowners that have vegetation like lawns, trees, flowers and other plants, as well as children in the home. School being out means kids looking for more ways to keep busy during the summer, and between watering plants and backyard activities like playing in the sprinkler, water bills can go up. But you can find ways to save water during the summer, and here are a few ways to do it.

Wash Your Car at a Facility

Using your hose to wash your car will certainly get the job done, but it can also cost you quite a bit of money in terms of water utilities. We know it’s important to clean your car, but if you want to use less water at home, you may be better off going to a professional facility, even a self-serve one.

A professional car wash, whether automated or done by hand, is much more efficient with the use of water. In some cases, there’s even very little water wasted, since it is drained off, recollected and reused, compared to your own hose experience at home, where the water simply flows down the street and into the sewer. You may think you’re paying money getting your car washed elsewhere, but you’re also saving money on your own water utility bill.

Cover Your Swimming Pool

For people that have a swimming pool in their yard, there may be a temptation, now that summer is here, to leave the pool open and exposed for the season. While it’s true that this makes it a lot easier to go for a dip on impulse, the dry air of summer in Alberta often means that water evaporation is going to be a major issue.

Moreover, keeping your pool covered doesn’t just help prevent water evaporation, it also helps out your pool filter and other cleaning mechanisms. A covered pool is protected from detritus like leaves or bird/animal droppings. Your pool stays cleaner, your filter works less, and your water doesn’t evaporate with this simple measure.

Water Plants in the Morning or Evening

Sometimes, you’re going to decide it’s time to break out the “slip and slide,” run the sprinkler, or bring out the hose and let the kids enjoy themselves. This may be a drain on water, but the joy it brings is obviously worth it. But there are other ways you can save before this happens.

During the middle of the day, this is the hottest, driest period of the Albertan summer. If you water plants now, much of that water will evaporate into the dry air. However, if you time your watering your lawn or garden to morning or evening, the cool temperature means you need less water as there’s less evaporation.