• Repair broken or missing sprinkler heads, a main cause of wasteful water runoff.
• If you’re installing new landscaping, choose native, drought-tolerant plants.
• Add 4 to 6 inches of mulch to your landscape beds and around trees and shrubs.
• Water an inch a week and never water during the heat of the day. Watering schedules vary depending on where you live so check with your water provider or city.
• Operate your automatic sprinklers manually so you only water when your landscape really needs it.
• Use just 5 percent less water than you’re using now. Check your latest water bill to determine how many gallons you’re using and multiply that amount by .05. That’s the number of gallons you should try to save every month.