Utah State Magazine

What's Your Water Score

Your lawn watering style
1. I turn on my pop-up spray sprinkler every day at high noon and let it rain for hours.
2. I have no idea. My automated sprinkler system waters my lawn however it sees fit.
3. My drip irrigation system waters slowly but deeply no more than two or three times a week at dusk.
Landscaping
1. If it isn't Kelly green and decorated with pink petunia and purple pansy beds, it isn't landscaping.
2. I'm allergic to lawn mowers and my yard is covered in dirt.
3. After my sunflowers started germinating, my Homeowner's Association cited me for weed propagation.
The water pressure in my house is set at
1. 60-70 psi (FYI: Double what you need, which is hard on your pocketbook and your pipes)
2. 50 psi ("Water pressure? Doesn't the city automatically set it?")
3. 40-50 psi (You're ahead of 75 percent of the rest of the population.)
I clean my driveway and sidewalks
1. with a garden hose.
2. with a push broom.
3. I let nature take its course.
Household appliances
1. Every toilet and appliance in my house is at least 20 years old.
2. You'll have to ask my spouse.
3. I halved my water bill after installing a high-efficiency washing machine, and low-flow toilet and shower head. I regularly check my faucets for leaks.

Score:

More than 3 As circled = consummate water waster
More than 3 Bs circled = clueless
Four or more Cs circled = gone semi-native

To improve your score, or become more educated, look up www.extension.usu.edu/drought, a collection of web pages packed with water conservation advice from Utah State Extension scientists.