The landscape at the intersection of Trabuco Road and Modesto has been beautified with hundreds of drought-tolerant, water-thrifty plants – thanks to the efforts of a local Boy Scout.
Dhruv Singhal of Troop #661 spent a recent hot Saturday with about 20 volunteers planting 700 plants in the area. The project has put Dhruv in line to obtain the Boy Scout’s prestigious rank of Eagle.
The City appreciates Dhruv’s efforts in improving the hillside. For more information about conducting similar projects, call 949-470-3085.
With no immediate relief in sight, the City of Mission Viejo is continuing to increase its water conservation efforts in the face of California’s worst drought on record.
The City continues to expand the use of recycled water to irrigate Mission Viejo landscapes. In fact, with recent efforts, nearly 85 percent of City landscapes are now irrigated with recycled water.
“This effort continues to grow and conserve valuable drinking water,” said Public Services Operations Manager Jerry Hill.
Median-island landscapes along Mission Viejo roadways are being transformed from water-thirsty grass with messy overhead irrigation to water-thrifty, drought-tolerant plant pallets with point-source drip (low-pressure and low-volume) irrigation.
Taking advantage of the latest technology available to manage irrigation water applications, the City is also installing smart irrigation timers.
While the City does its part to conserve, residents are encouraged to step up their conservation efforts.
By focusing efforts outdoors and changing indoor habits, residents can save significant amounts of water.
Consider the following statistics:
- Adjusting landscaping irrigation for weather will save 40 gallons of water per day.
- Watering before 8 a.m. saves 25 gallons per day.
- Fixing broken sprinklers, adjusting spray to avoid waste and repairing water leaks will save 16 gallons of water per day.
- Replacing grass with drought-tolerant and California-friendly plans saves about 33 percent of overall water use on average.
- Changing indoor habits such as turning off the tap while brushing your teeth saves three gallons of water per day.
- Save 5 gallons of water per day by reducing shower times by just two minutes.
- Fixing a dripping faucet saves 192 gallons of water per month, while repairing a leaky toilet saves 30 to 500 gallons of water a day.
Kelly Tokarski
Public Information Specialist
City of Mission Viejo
