Connect The Drops is our citizens’ campaign for wiser water usage in Sarasota County, Florida.
Click on any of the icons and you will find a wiser way to use water both inside and outside the home and office.
Do you have a tip for wiser water usage to add to our list? Email us at ConnectTheDrops@gmail.com or post in the comment section following each tip.

Inside the house

Outside the house

Other

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• Don’t install ornamental water features like fountains, manmade ponds, birdbaths, etc, that you must refill using water from the hose or plumbing.
• These lose a lot of water due to evaporation.  Instead, you could fill it with greywater or rain catchment water.

• Avoid planting turfgrasses on steep inclines.  When you water it, extra will runoff into your driveway or street instead of soak into the ground.
• If you already have grass on an incline, use a soaker hose to water it instead for best efficiency.
• For more information: On how to use a soaker hose.

• Adjust your lawnmower to a higher setting.  Taller grass will shade roots and retain soil moisture.

• If there is a beverage you drink regularly throughout the day (like water, coffee, or tea), designate one cup, thermos, or water bottle to keep refilling.
• If you don’t use a new cup each time, you’ll have less to wash at the end of the day.

• When cleaning out fish tanks, give the nutrient-rich water to your plants.
• Only use fresh water.  It will be high in nitrogen and phosphorus.

• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveway, sidewalks, or pool decks.
• Hoses use between 10 and 17 gallons per minute.

• Spreading a layer of organic mulch around plants retains moisture and saves water, time and money.
• Do not use cypress mulch because it supports clear-cutting valuable wetlands in the Southeast.
• For more information: Natural Green Home explains the benefits of mulch, why not to use cypress, and the best types of mulch to use.

• Compost vegetable food waste instead and save gallons every time.
• Garbage disposals also can add 50 percent to the volume of solids in the sewer system and can lead to problems with a septic tank.
• Compost will give your garden nutrients!
• For more information: on how to compost.

• Some refrigerators, air conditioners and ice-makers are cooled with wasted flows of water. Consider upgrading with air-cooled appliances for significant water savings