Drought Safety Tips for Your Home & Business

30 Jul Drought Safety Tips for Your Home & Business

When you think of Connecticut weather, what do you think of? Snowy winters? Wet springs? Beautiful falls? Humid summers? While any of these conditions could apply, if there’s one thing folks from Connecticut know to be true, you truly never know what weather you’re going to get!

While it’s not typical for the area, now and then we experience drought conditions. Often times, caused by extreme heat, lack of rainfall, and/or mild winter, there are time when Connecticut has to beware of drought and wildfire conditions. Because we don’t often experience this, many home and business owners aren’t aware of what they should do to conserve water and prevent wildfires.

At Home

• Fire Safety:
  • Use extreme caution while grilling, using a fire pit, using fireworks, or any other outdoor burning.
  • Have a bucket of water, garden hose, or fire extinguisher handy. Consider wetting down the surrounding grass and other vegetation before lighting your fireworks.
  • Don’t start a burn or use fireworks on a windy day. Save it for another time.
  • Never leave fireworks or a fire unattended, and always make sure they are completely doused with water before leaving.
• Water Conservation:
  • Stop watering grass and plants.
    • Turn off your sprinkler systems.
    • Use mulch to naturally cool down trees and garden plants that need it.
  • Store up to 1 gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation.
  • Limit showers to 5-15 minutes per person.
  • Use your washing machine for full loads only.
  • Repair dripping faucets, pipes, and running toilets.
  • Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily.
    • Dispose of tissues, insects, feminine hygiene products, and other related waste in the trash instead of flushing them down the toilet.
  • Handwash dishes
    • Fill one container with soapy water and one with clean water.
    • Clean dishes in soapy water and rinse them in clean.
• Educate your entire household on the importance of water conservation and preventing wildfires!

At Your Business

• Fire Safety:
  • If you have smoking areas:
    • Provide a closed container receptacle to dispose of used matches and cigarette butts.
  • Cars, Tools & Other Combustion Engines:
    • Don’t park a hot car or other machines in dry grass.
    • Don’t allow gasoline or motor oil to spill on grass or other vegetation.
• Water Conservation:
  • Stop watering grass and plants.
    • Turn off your sprinkler systems.
    • Use mulch to naturally cool down trees and garden plants that need it.
  • Repair dripping faucets, pipes, running toilets, and any leaks from appliances.
  • Install “tankless” water heaters in areas where water is used infrequently.
  • For bars and restaurants:
    • Serve water and ice only to guests who request it.
    • Install water-efficient dishwashers.
  • For agriculture business:
    • Invest in crop insurance to protect your crops. Call 860-437-7282 for a free, no-obligation quote!
• Educate your staff on the importance of water conservation and preventing wildfires!