If you're facing a drought or a water shortage for any reason, you still want to preserve your lawn and garden as much as possible. A few simple tips and investment in some pieces you can use to collect water can help you do just that, so that your lawn and garden don't wither even when water supplies run low:

1. Reuse gray water from home

Gray water can be water from the washing machine rinse cycle, bathtubs, and bathroom sinks. To collect this, turn off the washing machine as it reaches the rinse cycle and uncouple the drainage hose, then stand the hose over a bucket and turn the machine back on. You can also put a bucket in the shower and close the drain to collect water.

While these water sources will have some runoff of detergent and soap, this isn't typically enough to cause damage to your lawn or garden, so you can use this water for outside. Don't collect water from the kitchen sink or toilet for reuse, as this water will have too much bacteria and other contaminants.

2. Build a temporary retaining structure

 A retaining wall is usually built at one end of a property to keep water from heading toward your home and in turn, collecting around your foundation. However, you may want to build a temporary retaining structure or wall for keeping moisture on your property.

A simple way to do this is dig along the edge of your property or garden and create a trench just a few feet deep, then fill this trench with bricks. Once your drought is over you can then easily remove the bricks so that moisture doesn't keep collecting on your property.

You can even run PVC pipe from one area of your property to another to direct water runoff; if you're more concerned about your garden than your lawn, run pipe underneath the topsoil so that it collects moisture from the lawn and directs it to the garden. Be sure it has a slight slope as it heads to the garden so that the water is headed in the right direction.

3. Irrigate rather than water your lawn or garden

To ensure that you make the most of the water you do have on hand, irrigate your lawn and garden rather than simply spray them with a garden hose. Hosing your lawn or garden can result in water evaporating before it reaches the ground in a warm and dry environment, a common cause for drought. Use a garden hose with holes that you snake through your property so that it irrigates all the soil and you make the most of the water you can supply to your property.

To learn more, contact a company like Noddy The Waterman Water Supplies with any questions you have.