Water Conservation
Do you have water restrictions?
McClaren advises the use of rain barrels to capture rainwater for outdoor watering. McClaren now offers an array of WaterSaver™ systems to collect rainwater. We can even generate water when it doesn't rain. And some of these assemblies can be used to run your existing irrigation system.
The 'Rain Barrel'
The Rain Barrel (shown in blue) is a 60 gal container that sits directly under a downspout It holds about the same amount of water as a bathtub. Benefits: Low cost of installation; easy, above-ground installation & maintenance; small size makes it suitable for townhomes.
Drawbacks: Small capacity holds only enough water for window boxes, houseplants and pocket gardens; manual pumping or ladling for water extraction.
Under Deck WaterSaver™
The Under Deck WaterSaver™ assembly consists of a 1250 gallon tank (about the size of a large hot tub). The tank is located above ground in the space under a deck. Your roof gutters and downspouts are reconfigured to feed water to the storage tank. An external pump pulls water out of the tank to supply your existing small in-ground or drip irrigation system. Benefits: Medium cost of installation; easier, above-ground maintenance; captures rainwater from roof and attic-mounted air conditioner condensate.Drawbacks: Pump and lines must be winterized; existing downspouts and condensate lines must be reconfigured.
Underground WaterSaver™
The Underground WaterSaver™ assembly consists of a 1700 gallon tank (enough to run an average irrigation system three times beforet refilling). The tank is located under ground in a lawn area at the lowest elevation of your property. Your roof gutters and downspouts are routed to feed water to the storage tank. In addition, surface run-off water can be captured through drains and routed to the tank. Finally, even when there is no rain, water from dehumidifiers and air conditioning condensate can be routed to the storage tanks. An internal well pump pulls water out of the tank to supply your existing in-ground irrigation system. Benefits: Pump and lines are buried and out of sight; full capture of all runoff water; larger capacity for larger systems.Drawbacks: Higher cost of installation; more disruptive to existinglandscape during installation
No matter which size or style you choose, Mcclaren Lawn & Landscaping has the solution to your watering needs. And as a special introductory offer, we will start you off with your tank primed and ready to go.
Our Promise: If your tank runs dry, just call us and we will deliver enough water to keep your system running (price varies with delivery distance from our reclaimed water supply center).
Plumbing Retrofit
What is retrofitting?
Retrofitting is the installation of simple and usually inexpensive devices that replace or modify existing plumbing fixtures in your home to save water. Some restrict flow, others displace volume. They all help you do your part to protect the limited drinking water supply.
Why retrofit?
Retrofitting your home - replacing old plumbing fixtures with water-saving ones - is a simple way to protect our drinking water supply. Unless your home was built in the last fifteen years, you probably have pre-conservation era plumbing that guzzles water. The National Energy Protection Act (NEPA) of 1994 mandated the use of water-saving plumbing fixtures.
• Toilets
Typically, toilets use the most water in your home. If you choose not to replace your existing 5-gallon tank (or more in some older homes), then you can make your own toilet displacement device. Simply fill up a half-gallon milk jug with water and place it in the toilet tank. Make sure nothing impedes the internal mechanisms and test flush to see if there's enough pressure to do the job! While you're checking the toilet... why not check the rubber flapper to see if it's leaking? It may be time for its replacement. Most flappers should be replaced once per year.
• Showers
The average showerhead uses between five to ten gallons of water. Replacing showerheads with new low-flow models can save up to six and a half gallons per minute - a 40 to 65 percent water saving. It will also reduce your energy bill because you'll use less hot water. Bathroom and Kitchen Faucets The average bathroom or kitchen faucet flows at 3 gallons per minute. By installing faucet aerators in the bathroom and kitchen, you can cut water consumption by 50 percent. If you have an older showerhead or faucet aerators.