BLACKSBURG, Va. – July 30, 2009 – TetraPond®, leading proponent of outdoor water conservation alternatives, today introduced seven ways that ponds and water gardens help to conserve water. By adding a pond or water garden, homeowners can save money, help the environment and create an outdoor living space in their backyard.
Homeowners throughout the country use a tremendous amount of water. In fact, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) the average American uses 80-100 gallons of water each day. Because of this, water conservation is at the forefront of the minds of community officials. Each summer, many municipalities throughout the country impose restrictions that limit the use of water by homeowners. Since the majority of water is used outside of the home (lawns, plants & gardens), these limitations are primarily imposed on outdoor water usage Because of these constraints, homeowners must think of unconventional ways to create a water source in their backyard to ensure gardens are properly cared for.
TetraPond suggests that as a way to conserve water, homeowners should decrease their lawn footprint and consider adding a water source, such as a pond or water feature to their outdoor living space.
Consider these facts about lawn care:
• Lawns cover about 40 million acres nationwide.
• Regular lawn watering uses 750-1,500 gallons of water each month. Source: Water Conservation Tips- www.monolake.org.
• New lawns and grass seed require daily watering, experts suggest 1 hour per day.
Interestingly, according to a TetraPond market research study, over 75% of pond owners added a pond to the landscape to improve the aesthetics of their yard. Many are unaware that by adding a pond they not only have the enjoyment but also a source for water conservation.
TetraPond’s Seven Water Conservation Benefits of Installing a Pond:
• The pond can be a reservoir of water for the entire garden including landscaping and vegetables.
• If built with rocks around the perimeter above and below the waterline – the water level can be allowed to drop and rise without it looking unnatural or unsightly (in other words there would be no exposed liner above the variable pond water level).
• Ponds are refilled when it rains
• Ponds can act as reservoirs from drain pipes coming from roof tops.
• The landscaping around the pond can be made of drought resistant plants that do not require watering.
• Using a lot of aquatic plants in the pond (for example water lilies, water hyacinths and lotus) will create a blanket over part of the pond – minimizing water evaporation from the pond.
• You don’t need to water aquatic plants.
About TetraPond
TetraPond is an international leader of water gardening products, as demonstrated by consecutive Industry Recognition Awards for product innovation in pet specialty retailing. TetraPond offers a complete line of products for pond enthusiasts, including pumps, filters, clarifiers, water treatments, and the world’s most popular fish food. TetraPond’s U.S. headquarters is located in Blacksburg, Va. For more information, call your water garden experts at 1-800-526-0650. Or visit www.TetraPond.com to sign up for our award-winning Into the Pond e-newsletter, providing seasonal information for healthy ponds or to view the TetraPond video for a step-by-step guide to building and maintaining a pond.
