Information & Tips

Coburg’s Top 15 Water Conservation Tips

Water your lawn only when it needs it. Step on your grass. If it springs back, when you lift your foot, it doesn’t need water. So set your sprinklers for more days in between watering. Saves 750-1,500 gallons* per month. Better yet, especially in times of drought, water with a hose.
Fix leaky faucets and plumbing joints. Saves 20 gallons per day for every leak stopped.
Don’t run the hose while washing your car. Use a bucket of water and a quick hose rinse at the end. Saves 150 gallons each time. For a two-car family that’s up to 1,200 gallons a month.
Set lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer grass means less evaporation. Saves 500 to 1,500 gallons each month.
Install water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors. Saves 500 to 800 gallons per month.
Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher. Saves 300 to 800 gallons per month.
Shorten your showers. Even a one or two minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons per month.
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks. Saves 150 gallons or more each time. At once a week, that’s more than 600 gallons a month.
Don’t use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. Saves 400 to 600 gallons per month.
If you wash dishes by hand—and that’s the best way—don’t leave the water running for rinsing. If you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you only have one sink, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run. Saves 200 to 500 gallons a month.
Don’t water the sidewalks, driveway or gutter. Adjust your sprinklers so that water lands on your lawn or garden where it belongs—and only there. Saves 500 gallons per month.
Capture tap water. While you wait for hot water to come down the pipes, catch the flow in a watering can to use later on house plants or your garden. Saves 200 to 300 gallons per month.
Water during the cool parts of the day. Early morning is better than dusk since it helps prevent the growth of fungus. Saves 300 gallons.
Don’t water the lawn on windy days. There’s too much evaporation. Can waste up to 300 gallons in one watering.
Don’t let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Rinse them in a filled sink or pan. Saves 150 to 250 gallons a month. *For meter reading purposes in Coburg, water usage is based on Cubic Feet. (1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons of water)

Lawn Watering Test

Simple way to determine if your lawn requires watering:

1. Place five or more flat bottom cans or coffee mugs randomly around your lawn.

2. Turn on your sprinkler(s) for 15 minutes.

3. Measure the depth of the water in each can with a ruler to determine the average water depth in the cans.

4. Refer to the following chart. Read the number of minutes you should water, every third day. Record the times for future reference.

Average depth in test cans	Minutes to water every 3rd day
1/8 inch	60 minutes
1/4 inch	30 minutes
3/8 inch	20 minutes
1/2 inch	15 minutes
5/8 inch	12 minutes
3/4 inch	10 minutes
1 inch	8 minutes

Water Tips to Save the Environment and Your Pocket Book

Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants. Chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slows down evaporation. Saves 750 to 1,500 gallons a month.
Check toilet for leaks. Put dye tablets or food coloring into the tank. If color appears in the bowl without flushing, there's a leak that should be repaired. Saves 400 gallons a month.
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Saves three gallons each day.
Turn off the water while shaving. Fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of water to rinse your razor. Saves three gallons each day.
If you allow your children to play in the sprinklers, make sure it's only when you're watering the yard--if it's not too cool at that time of day.

Recycling Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds are excellent mulch. Grounds retain moisture in the soil, which helps keep weeds down. The natural break down of coffee grounds enriches the soil. Acid loving plants, such as Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias, and Blueberries benefit immensely from the enriched soil.

Noxious Vegetation Information

City ordinance A-108 requires that noxious vegetation be removed from property and not allowed to grow to a height of more than ten inches between June 1st and September 30 of every year. Noxious vegetation can be a health, fire or traffic hazard. Please read and observe the listed Section of Ordinance A-108 by removing noxious vegetation from your property. Contact City Hall (682-7850) or Coburg Public Works (682-7857) if you have questions.

Download PDF of Ordinance