Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe across the US due to climate change. Preparing your home for drought conditions involves reducing water consumption, maintaining efficient systems, and landscaping for resilience.
15 steps across 2 sections
1. Steps Process
- Audit your water usage — Review your water bills for the past year. Identify your highest-use months and areas. Many utilities offer free water audits.
- Fix all leaks — Check every faucet, toilet, and irrigation connection. Test toilets by adding food coloring to the tank (if color appears in the bowl within 30 minutes, it leaks). One dripping fauc...
- Install water-efficient fixtures — Low-flow showerheads (2.0 GPM or less), WaterSense-labeled toilets (1.28 GPF), faucet aerators, and high-efficiency washing machines. These pay for themselves qui...
- Optimize outdoor watering — Water lawns early morning (before 10am) to reduce evaporation. Use drip irrigation instead of sprinklers. Install a smart irrigation controller. Water deeply but infrequ...
- Transition to drought-tolerant landscaping — Replace water-hungry grass with native and drought-tolerant plants. Use xeriscaping principles. Group plants by water needs. Many utilities offer rebate...
- Collect and reuse water — Install rain barrels (see topic #780). Reuse gray water from washing machines for landscape irrigation (where legal). Keep a bucket in the shower to collect warm-up water.
- Prepare for water restrictions — Know your local water restriction stages. Have a plan for each stage. Store emergency drinking water (1 gallon per person per day for at least 3 days).
- Maintain your water heater and plumbing — Insulate hot water pipes (reduces wait time and waste). Set water heater to 120°F. Consider a recirculating pump or on-demand system.
2. Key Details
- Average US household: 300 gallons/day; conservation can cut to 150-200 gallons/day
- Outdoor watering: 30-60% of residential water use in arid regions
- Toilets: Largest indoor water user (older models use 3.5-7 GPF vs. 1.28 GPF for WaterSense)
- Smart irrigation controllers: Adjust watering based on weather, saving 20-50% on outdoor water
- Many water utilities offer rebates for: low-flow fixtures, smart controllers, turf removal, rain barrels
- Emergency water storage: 1 gallon per person per day (drinking + sanitation)
- Gray water reuse: Legal in many states for landscape irrigation (check local codes)
Common Mistakes
- Overwatering lawns (most lawns need far less water than they receive)
- Watering during the heat of the day (up to 50% lost to evaporation)
- Ignoring small leaks (they add up to thousands of gallons per year)
- Running dishwashers and washing machines with partial loads
- Not knowing your local water restriction stages until they are in effect
Pro Tips
- Shower with a bucket to collect the cold water while waiting for hot — use fo...
- Run the dishwasher instead of hand-washing (modern dishwashers use less water)
- Replace old toilets first — biggest indoor water savings
- Check rebate programs at your utility before purchasing fixtures or making la...
- Native plants establish deeper root systems and survive droughts better than ...