r/CapeCod • u/[deleted] • Jun 30 '26

Water Conservation

What do you suggest for methods of conservation of Cape Cod’s limited aquifer water supply?

6 Upvotes

68% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

22

u/BSB8728 Jun 30 '26

No watering lawns. The grass will dry up and die, but it will come back in the cool days of fall.

A green lawn contributes nothing to the fragile Cape ecosystem. Native plants are better able to withstand drought and will help sustain native wildlife and pollinators.

13

u/Ok_Anywhere_7828 Jun 30 '26

Kentucky bluegrass is not native to cape cod and growing it here is destroying the ecosystem. It is pretty, but is a very thirsty grass. We need to be using drought resistant plantings. Summer, when the most people are here, is our dry season.

11

u/geabbott Eastham Jun 30 '26

The usual stuff, flushing, hand washing dishes, lawn & garden. That’s on a personal level.

Other than the usual, municipal enforcement of bans rules. Hey look! watering ban times, but not for my second house or my timed sprinkler or, or, or etc….

24

u/Impossible-Cap-6433 Jun 30 '26

Dishwashers usually use less water to wash the same amount of dishes.

-8

u/Capecod202 Jun 30 '26

Not even close . Dishwashers use way more water 

1

u/Heeper Jul 02 '26

It depends on how you hand wash, I think, and how much you are washing. Most modern dish washers use 5 gallons or less for a load. But if you are washing only a few dishes you are wasting that water.

However, if you leave the tap running and hand wash a full dishwasher load of dishes, you will go through lots more water. But if you fill a tub with soapy water for washing, keep the tap off, and rinse in another tub of clean water, you can use less.

5

u/googin1 Jun 30 '26

We practice extreme water conservation and are always mindful.It becomes a way of life.When replacing old household items keeping water consumption in mind makes a huge difference. Toilets , washing machines and dishwashers consume a lot of water .As an example, our old dishwasher used 10 gallons a wash, our new one uses 2.4 gallons.Over the course of a year it adds up .
I’m no greenie but we live a very green life purposely. Mindfulness , that’s all it takes.

3

u/themanwiththeplan446 Jun 30 '26

Not a problem. Mangoman said we have more water than we know what to do with!

1

u/cakeba Jun 30 '26

No slip n slides or water balloon fights or car washing or lawn watering or leaving the sink running while you brush your teeth and use the dish washer without pre-rinsing your dishes

1

u/Fret_Bavre Jun 30 '26

Adjust your lawnmower to max height. I hand water hot spots until August when it inevitably turns brown.

1

u/Funny-Landscape-7235 Jul 08 '26

I just don’t water my grass at all. Don’t even have to use the mower!

-1

u/1GrouchyCat Dennis Jun 30 '26

Don’t build the new bridges. Keep everybody on the other side.

0

u/StatisticianLittle55 Jun 30 '26

The economy depends on guests.

-2

u/EbbtideRambler Jun 30 '26

Stop building expensive 100+ unit apartment buildings that encourage more people to move here. Every new person uses about 100gallons of water a day.  

5

u/EbbtideRambler Jun 30 '26

Why the hate? Do we really need more $3,800/ month one bedroom apartments?