Normally, Local Llano shares “information about growing, purchasing, cooking, and celebrating locally-produced food.” However, we feel the need to talk about water conservation as it is a vital and constant concern for our region. Our water supply is always changing and it is important to stay up to date with any drought plans and city ordinances to do your part.
Water conservation is a touchy subject around here. Especially when it comes to having the perfect lawn. The Llano Estacado is a dry region with not enough rainfall to keep our landscapes as pretty as those we see in other regions across the country. As a result, our water supply is not always at an ideal level. It is extremely important for us to be great stewards of our water. Water is an indispensable part of our lives and we can not continue to live without it. There are many good reasons to conserve water in all areas of our lives, for example, we need fresh water to sustain life, basic conservation can save you a considerable amount of money each year, our natural ecosystems depend on it, and our fellow Americans across the country can benefit from our savings as well. It only takes implementation with purpose and simple changes to daily habits to succeed. You can find many articles and blogs that can help you and your family implement these changes.
The biggest use of water by Americans (65-70%) is for landscaping. Watering landscaping is the elephant in the room for discussions about water conservation. In SOA country, of course, 85-90% of all water used is for agriculture or agricultural processing. A fun way to save water is through rainwater harvesting. Harvesting rainwater is a terrific way to save excess watershed to reuse effectively throughout your garden and lawn. There are tremendous amounts of ways to do that without creating an eyesore in your garden, and I invite you to do some research to find something that works well for you.
In Lubbock, we are very fortunate to live in a city that genuinely cares about our aquifers. They provide many resources and strict guidelines to help us do our part, through amazing information on their water utilities facebook page, and fair watering schedules that help us keep a great lawn while being cautious of our use. I implore you to visit their website and learn more. Most cities in our region have similar resources and guidelines that you can find online through your cities website.
City of Lubbock Water Utilities Facebook page
City of Lubbock Water Department website
City of Lubbock watering schedule/Sprinkler information
City of Lubbock 25 Ways to Conserve Water
City of Odessa Water Conservation website
