For 139 years, American Water has been the country's premier water and wastewater service company. With a customer base of over 14 million people, including 1.5 million Hoosiers, it is the largest company of its kind in the United States. Its subsidiary, Indiana American Water (INAW), has supplied residents of Northwest Indiana with its top-quality wastewater and drinking water services for the past 116 years.
As INAW keeps life flowing in the Region, it also educates customers on how they can implement environmentally-conscious water use strategies that can help save them money. In 2023, INAW's parent company, American Water, won its second WaterSense Award, a prize that recognizes its efforts to collaborate strategically with other companies on water conservation education and research.
Residents of the Region can use the INAW website's Water Calculator to determine the amount of water their household uses. They can pick up some helpful water conservation tips from the website too. These strategies can help customers develop positive indoor and outdoor water usage practices that go easy on the environment and their wallets. Take a look at INAW's water conservation tips and tricks and try implementing them this summer!
Watering the Lawn
- Watering your lawn consumes a lot of water, so only do it when it is necessary. You can determine whether you need to water your lawn or not by walking across it. If you leave a trail of footprints, it's time to water.
- Be sure to water your lawn in the morning. In doing so, you can avoid losing about 30% of the water to evaporation when the sun gets higher in the sky.
- Implementing longer and less frequent watering sessions helps promote deep root growth and stronger turf in your yard.
- Get the most out of each watering session by ensuring your sprinkler isn’t accidentally applying water to grassless areas like the driveway.
- Make your yard more drought-resistant by raising your lawn mower a level higher than usual.
- Pay close attention to the weather forecast so that, in the event that there is a high chance of rain, you can turn your sprinkler system off beforehand.
- If you collect rainwater, you can use it later to irrigate your trees and outdoor plants. Outfit each rainwater storage receptacle with a suitable covering to ensure that no debris falls into the water.
Taking Care of your Yard and Landscaping
- Avoid cutting your grass shorter than two inches, as this can make it susceptible to disease, burnout, insects, and weeds. Set your lawn mower to cut the grass between 2.5 to 3.5 inches instead. The ideal height varies from season to season.
- Mulching beds about 2-3 inches deep can do much to prevent weeds and help retain moisture, thus limiting the need to water your property’s landscaping.
- INAW recommends using porous pavement like gravel for driveways and walkways, as it allows the ground to absorb rainwater. This limits erosion, causing water runoff.
- Plant drought-resistant plant species that have adapted to the area where you live, as these will require less watering than unadapted plants.
- Perform routine checks on your landscape’s water system to make sure that the pipes have not developed any cracks.
More Tips for Outdoor Water Usage
- Be sure to use a bucket of soap and water when you hand wash your car instead of letting your garden hose run for an extended period of time.
- When cleaning your patio, sidewalk, deck, or driveway, use a broom or a leaf blower instead of a garden hose.
According to Joel Reuter, external affairs manager for INAW, smart irrigation control systems have proven quite helpful in his efforts to conserve water. He specifically favors the Orbit B-hyve Smart Irrigation Controller for his personal use. Reuter installed the B-hyve on his manually-operated irrigation system last year and is quite pleased with the results.
“It’s been a real game-changer for me,” Reuter said. “It only took me about 15 minutes to install. I can use my cell phone to manage the watering of zones, regardless of where I am at the time. Before, I had to manually turn the system off when rain was in the forecast or my lawn didn’t need it. Now, the irrigation controller places the system on delay when rain is forecast in my area. These devices are surprisingly affordable and will most likely pay for themselves over a summer or two by conserving water.”
With the help of these water conservation practices from INAW, you can cut down on expenses and ensure that you are getting the most out of your water. Give them a try this summer and see which ones work best for you!
For more information on water conservation and Indiana American Water’s services, please visit amwater.com/inaw.
