Water Conservation Science Fair Projects

Lawn Care

1. Only water your lawn when it needs to be watered. During the summer lawns need to be watered about 5 - 7 days.

2. When you have consistent rainfall you do not need to water your lawn for up to 2-weeks. Track the 4-day weather forcast on your home page. If there is a forcast for rain, let the rain water your garden.
3. Water the garden when the sun is not out and the weather is cool - early morning or late evening. This helps the water to not evaporate quickly.
4. To prevent evaporation, avoid watering when it’s windy. Because the wind blows water to areas of your garden that do not need watering, you waste this natural resource.
5. Get a FREE Lawn Watering Gauge from the region in which you live to see how much water your lawn requires.
6. Collect rain in rain barrels for outside watering.
7. In the midst of the hot season, your lawn will look more barren. Don’t overcompensate by wasting water to get a green look. Instead, think about contributing to a Green planet!
8. When using a sprinkler system do not waste water by having it land on a footpath, road, or your paved areas.
9. Replace your inefficient sprinkler systems with drip irrigation. Drip irrigation sends water to the roots of the plants.
10. Soil absorbs water best when watered in short, repeated bursts.
11. Check your automated sprinkling system's timers regularly to make sure they are working properly.
12. Use an alarm clock or similar remindER to shut it off sprinkling system if it is not automatic.
13. Cut your grass least 3-inches high because it will the roots as they grow deeper. Therefore, the soil will hold the moisture more efficiently.
14. Use fertilizers sparingly because they make your grass thirsty. Use a fertiliser that is not soluble in water and slow release.
15. Aerate the lawn with a garden fork. It will draw water to the root system, instead of letting the water escape as runoff.
16. Reduce the amount of grassed area with some decking, gravel, paving or stone beds. They do not need watering.
17. Spreading a layer of mulch such as woodchips, gravel or stone in your flower beds and around trees prevents over 70% of moisture evaporation from out of the soil. A layer 2.5-5cm thick will do the trick.
18. Check out the best type of plants, trees and grasses that are native to your local climate. They tend to be more efficient.
19. When adding new plants to your garden, prepare it with good soil that does not contain a high sand or clay content. Mix in water storing granules and a surfactant, literally a ‘soil wetter’, to increase water absorption.

Your Hose

• Group plants together according to how much water they will need.
• Do not use a hose to remove leaves from hardscaping (footpaths and driveways). A broom doesn't waste water.
• Buy a water-efficient nozzle for your hose, one that ranges from a high-pressure jet down to a mist spray - a trigger nozzle will actually let you shut off the water flow altogether. When you’ve finished watering turn the hose off at the tap to avoid leaks.
• Check your hoses, connectors, tubing and nozzles for leaks every week.
• If you are going putting a water feature in your garden, such as a pond or waterfall, be sure the water will be recycled.

Swimming pool

• upgrade your filter to a water efficient model that reduces the wastage of back-flushing.
• Cover the swimming pool when it is not in use. This will reduce evaporation up to 90% and keep the water clean.

Surprise @ # :-) !
For a science fair project implement 5 or of the above ideas and compare your water bill from last year of the same month that you do your experiment. This is an easy project and you will be making a difference in the world!

Solar House	Fuel Cell Car	PicoTurbine Windmill	SCG-125 Snap Circuits Green Alternative Energy
Ages 12 thru High School	Ages 12 thru High School	Age 10 thru college	Ages 8 and up

Discover more science fair projects about energy conservation here.