The Importance of Outdoor Water Conservation

​While northeastern Illinois borders Lake Michigan and many communities enjoy access to Great Lakes water, the majority of the NWPA region relies on groundwater and the Fox River for its drinking water. Managing water use, especially outdoor water use, is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of the NWPA region’s water resources.
 
Watering your lawn can account for nearly 30 percent of a household’s total water use, which tends to increase in the summer months. Outdoor water conservation can play a key role in reducing water use and promoting a more sustainable approach to lawn and garden care.
 
To help communities reduce outdoor water use, the NWPA created a regional lawn watering ordinance that provides guidance on outdoor water conservation. Key elements of the ordinance include:

• Limit outdoor watering to early morning and evening hours (6:00-9:00 AM and PM) to avoid mid-day watering.
• Limit outdoor watering to even and odd calendar days, according to addresses ending in even and odd numbers.
• Prohibit the installation of new sod during the summer months.
• Prohibit the watering of sidewalks or impermeable surfaces to reduce water waste and runoff.
• Exempt outdoor watering restrictions if watering with greywater, recycled water, or less water-intensive irrigation systems, like handheld devices or drip irrigation, or WaterSense technologies. 
• Apply year-round water regulations as opposed to a seasonal summer restrictions window.
• Empower a mayor or manager to issue an emergency proclamation and further regulate or prohibit water use in the event of diminished water supply caused by a prolonged dry period or drought, increased water demand, equipment failure, or water quality concerns.

While many NWPA communities have adopted parts of the ordinance in some capacity, such as setting their own hours and day limitations for outdoor water use and implementing emergency procedures for drought situations, there is a need for more communities to fully adopt the model ordinance to ensure long term sustainability of our shared water resources.

The ordinance provides an opportunity to promote collective action that cuts back on nonessential water use. Taking steps to conserve water outdoors can help protect the region’s long-term water supply for future generations. 

Learn more about NWPA’s outdoor water conservation resources here.