A new law recently signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue will require all new homes in Georgia to have water saving plumbing fixtures beginning in July 2012. There are also new requirements for commercial construction and multi-unit buildings, such as condos and apartments. The Georgia Water Stewardship Act is one way the state’s legislators are showing a good faith effort to be responsible water consumers as they fight the “water wars” with surrounding states.With the passage of the new law, homeowners in all of Georgia will share the outdoor watering restrictions that those metro Atlanta have long followed. The new restrictions say that residential landscape watering should take place between the hours of 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. Watering your vegetable garden is acceptable at anytime (though you’ll still get the most bang for your buck during the early and late hours when less water evaporates).
Speaking of bang for your buck, there’s no need to invest in expensive irrigation systems to hydrate your yard in a way that conserves water usage. The Equifax Personal Finance Blog recently published information on Water Saving Devices including a programmable sprinkler timer that costs only about $50 and works with regular garden hoses. The post’s author was Ilyce Glink, nationally-syndicated columnist, bestselling real estate book author and Newstalk 750 WSB radio talk show host. She profiled several additional gadgets that will also save you money while helping the environment. The Equifax blog is full of information to help homeowners, homebuyers and anyone who spends money. Check it out!
