HIGHLANDS COUNTY

DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

6850 West George Blvd.

Sebring, FL 33875

863-385-1112

DROUGHT GUIDELINES

GENERAL

• Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it. Use it to water your indoor plants or garden.
• Make sure your home is leak-free. When you are certain that no water is being used in your home, take a reading of the water meter. Wait 30 minutes and then take a second reading. If the meter reading changes, you have a leak!
• Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. One drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons of water per year!

BATHROOM

• Check for toilet leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If you have a leak, the color will appear in the bowl within 30 minutes. (Flush immediately to avoid stains.)
• Leaky toilets usually can be fixed inexpensively by replacing the flapper.
• Take shorter showers.
• Replace your showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version.
• Place a bucket in the shower to catch excess water for watering plants.
• Don't let the water run while brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving.

KITCHEN

• Operate automatic dishwashers only when they are fully loaded. Use the "light wash" feature if available to use less water.
• Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator, or use the defrost setting on your microwave.
• Do not waste water waiting for it to get hot. Capture it for other uses such as plant watering or heat it on the stove or in a microwave.
• Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing of food waste, or simply dispose of food in the garbage.

CAR WASHING

• Use a shut-off nozzle on your hose that can be adjusted down to a fine spray, so that water flows only as needed. When finished, turn it off at the faucet instead of at the nozzle to avoid leaks.
• Consider using a commercial car wash that recycles water. If you wash your own car, park on the grass so that you will be watering it at the same time.

LAWNCARE

• Don't over water your lawn. Lawns only need to be watered every five to seven days in the summer, and every 10 to 14 days in the winter. A heavy rain eliminates the need for watering for up to two weeks. Most of the year, lawns only need one inch of water per week. Buy a rain gauge so that you can better determine when to water.
• Water lawns during the designated hours.
• Avoid sprinklers that spray a fine mist; most of the mist evaporates before it reaches the lawn. Check sprinkler systems and timing devices regularly to be sure they operate properly. Florida law now requires that "anyone who purchases and installs an automatic lawn sprinkler system MUST install a rain sensor device or switch which will override the irrigation cycle when adequate rainfall has occurred."