The recent bout of hot, dry weather has brought with it a spike in water use, with Clarence Valley residents using about 20 megalitres a day during the period. That’s equivalent to eight Olympic-sized swimming pools a day. Mayor Richie Williamson encouraged residents to use water wisely and practice a few common sense methods to reduce water use during these hot spells. “Water gardens during cooler periods of the day such as the late afternoon, night or early morning as evaporation is a lot less at these times,” he said. “Also avoid watering during windy periods. “Try to reduce the amount of water you use on your lawn as most lawn species found on the North Coast are capable of surviving on natural rainfall alone. Lawns may yellow or hay off during drier times, but they generally recover quickly following rain. “Mulch your garden as this reduces evaporation by shading the soil and keeping the soil surface cool. “If you’re using a sprinkler get a tap timer so you don’t walk away and forget that the sprinkler is on. Sprinklers use more than 1000 litres an hour, so forgetting your sprinkler can waste a lot of water and be very costly. “In the longer term, you could convert your gardens into water wise gardens by using hardy plants that need little or no water apart from natural rainfall.”