EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Camino Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA) is asking customers to conserve water by voluntarily participating in scheduled outdoor watering from July 1 to Sept. 30.
The utility, which provides water and wastewater services to Sunland Park and Santa Teresa, announced on Friday, June 27, in a news release.
“Maintaining an adequate water supply is essential during the hottest season when water usage typically increases,” CRRUA Executive Director Juan Crosby said.
Crosby said this voluntary initiative will help inform customers about water conservation while the utility evaluates the potential of enacting a mandatory water conservation ordinance similar to those in other communities.
CRRUA said the voluntary schedule calls for all the utility customers, residential and commercial, to water before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m. on the following days:
- Mondays, no outdoor watering.
- Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays for even-numbered addresses (ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8).
- Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays for odd-numbered addresses (ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9).
The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer provides the following tips, according to the news release:
Outdoor water conservation tips:
- Don’t overwater — and water only when plants need it. During the hot summer months, landscaping can account for more than half of a household’s total water use.
- Water during the early morning or late evening. Avoid watering on windy days to reduce water lost to evaporation.
- Avoid watering the sidewalk and driveway. Position sprinklers so that the water lands only on the landscaped area.
- Place a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Mulching helps reduce evaporation and keeps the soil moist.
- Convert your lawn to a less-thirsty native grass.
- Install a water-efficient drip irrigation system for trees, shrubs and flowers. Use a low-profile, large-drop sprinkler system to increase irrigation efficiency.
- Adjust your automatic irrigation controller every month. Landscapes don’t need as much water in September as they do in June.
- Check your irrigation system often. Walk through the yard and fix or replace leaky water lines, broken sprinkler heads and faulty drip emitters.
- When washing your car, use a shut-off nozzle to keep the hose from running needlessly.
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks.
Indoor water conservation tips:
| Activity | You could save |
| Shorten your shower to 5 minutes | 25 gallons per day |
| Install a low-flow 2.5 gallons-per-minute showerhead | 25 gallons per day |
| Shorten shower and install a low-flow showerhead.(Savings compared to a 10-minute shower with a high-flow showerhead). | 50 gallons per day |
| Choose a water-efficient clothes washer.(No matter what type of clothes washer you have, you’ll save water if you wash only full loads). | 15 gallons per load |
| Install a water-efficient dishwasher and use only for full loads. | 7 or more gallons per load |
Where water is used indoors:
| Toilets | 26.7 percent |
| Clothes Washer | 21.7 percent |
| Showers | 16.8 percent |
| Faucets | 15.7 percent |
| Leaks | 13.7 percent |
| Bathing | 1.7 percent |
| Dishwasher | 1.4 percent |
| Other | 2.5 percent |
Additionally, a slow, steady faucet drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons per day; a faster drip can waste 100 gallons or more. Many faucet leaks can be repaired with an inexpensive washer. Also, toilet leaks can silently waste hundreds of gallons of water, according to the news release.
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