Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes is urging residents to conserve water whenever possible
TRENTON -- A day after a drought watch was issued in parts of 12 counties, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes is urging residents to conserve water whenever possible.
The drought watch encompasses about two-thirds of the state population. Mercer was included in the list in part because of the lack of rain and dwindling water supply.
RELATED: Drought watch issued for 12 counties, 6 million people
"Fresh, clean water is a limited resource and occurrences such as droughts further limit access to clean and fresh water, meaning people need to take steps to reduce water use and save as much water as possible," Hughes said. "People should always do their best to conserve water for today and for our future generations."
The county is offering the following recommendations:
- Wash only full loads in your dishwasher and washing machine.
- Turn off the faucet when lathering hands, shaving or brushing teeth.
- Use "recycled" water (leftover drinking water, water used to rinse vegetables and to boil food, etc.) to water plants or garden before filling a watering can from the tap.
- Take shorter showers. Reducing a 10-minute shower to five minutes will save 12.5 gallons of water if the showerhead has a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute.
- If you must water your lawn, do so during the coolest part of the day to reduce water loss from evaporation and avoid overwatering your lawn or garden.
- Sweep driveways, sidewalks and steps rather than hosing them off.
- Wash vehicles at a carwash that recycles its water. If washing them at home, make sure the hose has a shutoff valve.
- Fix leaks, including leaky toilets, pipes and fixtures.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.
