Oregon’s unusually warm winter is causing concerns for water shortages around the state. That’s prompting groups ranging from a state department to local utilities to ask people to use less water.
The Oregon Department of Water Resources is asking residents to monitor their water usage.
In a media release, it mentioned that lawns can be watered twice a week, and adjusting watering amounts with weather, adding compost or mulch to garden beds and watering during cool hours to reduce evaporation.
ODWR also recommended checking sprinklers, toilets and other fixtures for leaks, installing WaterSense fixtures or aerators to reduce flow. The department also said that dishwashers use less water than hand-washing dishes.
Meanwhile, the City of Bend joined with local water utilities Avion Water Co. and Roats Water System to ask that residents reduce strain on the system, particularly around plant watering.
They ask that people follow rules about days and hours during which they are allowed to water, and noted that lawns need about 1.5 inches of water during peak summer heat and less at other times.
They also said drought-tolerant plants require about half of that amount, and that trees need about 10 gallons per inch of trunk diameter each week.
“Those numbers are to give people a reference point because everyone’s irrigation system is different,” said Dan Denning, Water Conservation Program Manager for the City of Bend. “So how do you expect someone to make a change and know how to apply water efficiently if they don’t know what the need is.”
Denning said the city also offers free evaluations to help people figure out what their landscaping needs and other assistance with efficient water use.
He said officials hope that people voluntarily thinking about their water consumption will avoid mandatory cuts during dry times.
“A unified approach has worked in the past, and we’ve made big reductions in the past,” he said. “We’re just looking for cooperation and partnership from within the community.”
He said the city is also taking steps to conserve water usage and asking its largest users such as schools and parks to do the same.
