Itching to start greening up that lawn? With the spring-like weather finally here, people are taking on that needed yard work.

But before you turn on the sprinkler, did you know that water consumption in our area doubles and sometimes triples during the summer?

There are some simple things you can do to keep your yard green and conserve water.

“Just because we have an abundance of water it’s not incumbent upon us to waste it,” explained Kevin McCaleb with the Regional Water Providers Consortium.

We followed him as he showed homeowner Jim Meierotto some simple ways to conserve water. McCaleb said,

“The first one would maintenance making sure you have no leaks no broken heads no lines malfunctioning.” Leaking lines are one of the biggest sources of water waste.

KTVB photo

Sprinklers automatically water this fertilized lawn.

McCaleb also says setting the timer on your sprinkler appropriate for the season will reduce water waste.

And minimizing the size of your lawn and replacing some of the water thirsty grass with native plants will make a big difference.

One of the most important things you can do is to not *over-water. “We try to stipulate an inch of water a week,” advised McCaleb. He even has special watering gauges to measure it.

The most common thing homeowners do that’s wastes water is allowing your sprinkler to water things other than your lawn, things like your driveway or sidewalk.

“Make sure your sprinklers are going to where they're supposed to go,” stressed McCabe.

Some simple steps any homeowner can take to help conserve a crucial resource.