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Best Practices  /  Save Water

Make a splash: Cut outdoor water use

A restaurant’s water use isn't limited to the dining room and kitchen. Landscaping and property can also account for significant water use. Keeping the outside of your business clean and the landscaping fresh play a major role in the overall guest experience and ambiance of your restaurant.

A few tips as you develop your restaurant's landscaping and maintenance plans:

  • When planting new plants, select trees, shrubs and flowers that require less water.
  • Use gray water, reclaimed water or collected rainwater for irrigation and equipment washdowns.
  • Use water from a public utility to water landscaping only when needed.
  • Water only after dusk and before dawn. Using public-utility water during the middle of the day can tax a community’s water pressure.
  • Avoid introducing non-native plants, which often require more water and can disrupt and interfere with native plants and animals within the community.
  • Apply mulch around trees and flower beds. Mulch helps keep soil moist and reduces the growth of weeds.
  • Choose compost as a soil amendment. Using compost is the natural way to enrich soil and aid in water absorption and retention.

Video: Create a landscaping policy and maintenance plan

 

Check out these other useful resources to get you started:

More Resources

  • Walking the Talk: Reports from the field: Restaurateurs and suppliers talk sustainability.
  • Ask the Expert: We connect you with industry experts for answers to your questions.
  • Watch: Conversations with sustainability innovators.