How to Adapt Your Garden and Home to Persistent Drought

As is well known, the Czech Republic has high-quality water. However, what is less favourable is the state of water sources and groundwater levels. Drought is worsening every year, causing problems not only for nature, farmers, and gardeners but also for the general population, which is vitally dependent on local drinking water sources. We can all contribute to the solution. Find out how proper water management can relieve not only nature but also your health and wallet.

The Origins of the Water Resource Crisis in the Czech Republic

Our landscape suffers from drought mainly due to insensitive human interventions in the 20th century. Rapid urbanization, straightening of riverbeds, deliberate drying of wetlands, expansion of agricultural land, and many other factors have caused the soil to lose its ability to retain and absorb water. The state is addressing this problem very slowly and often controversially.

The loss of the soil's ability to absorb water is also related to another ecological problem, namely weather fluctuations caused by climate change. These bring increasingly frequent periods of drought and torrential rains, which the degraded soil does not absorb. This results in floods, but paradoxically, the loss of water in the landscape continues.

Save Water at Home

First, focus on water consumption at home. It can be significantly reduced with a few simple steps that are not financially demanding and do not compromise your comfort.

A dishwasher uses up to half as much water for washing dishes. If you don't have a dishwasher, wash dishes in a sink filled with water, not under running water. When choosing a new dishwasher and washing machine, focus on their water consumption.
Install a flow restrictor or aerator on taps and shower hoses to reduce water consumption without you noticing. Simple models can be purchased for just a few hundred crowns.
Install a device on the toilet that allows you to stop unnecessarily long flushing. This is also a small investment of a few hundred crowns.
Immediately repair dripping taps and leaking toilets.
Prefer showers over baths and limit shower time. Turn off the tap while washing hands and brushing teeth, and only run appliances (washing machine, dishwasher) when they are full.
With a lever or thermostatic mixer tap, you can save water and energy by better regulating the water temperature. If you need to run off excessively hot or cold water, let it flow into a container and use the water.

A dripping tap increases water consumption by approximately 50 litres per day, while a leaking toilet can increase it by up to 500 litres per day.

Retain Water in the Garden

Every household with a garden can significantly influence the quality of the environment in its immediate vicinity, i.e., on its own property. How? Primarily, it is necessary to learn how to retain water in the garden. This will positively affect the microclimate and the health of plants, and also your yield.

An ideal way is to build a pond in the garden, which will positively affect humidity and also serve as a drinking spot for birds and insects.
Never water the garden with tap water. It is senseless waste, and this chemically treated water is not suitable for plants. Ideally, use rainwater for watering, or recycled grey water. Water early in the morning or evening, as a significant part of the watering could evaporate due to the daytime sun.
Prevent water evaporation in the garden. Short grass is dead, does not retain water, and does not provide living space for insects and other creatures. Therefore, limit mowing, do not rake grass or leaves, as this layer of humus excellently retains water and supports the nutrient cycle in the soil. Such enriched soil then absorbs and retains water much better.
Plant as many diverse plants as possible in the garden – trees, shrubs, and grasses. Thanks to the vertically structured vegetation, your garden will capture much more water and also provide the soil with the necessary shade.

Make the Most of Rainwater and Grey Water

Did you know that we use only 3% of water for cooking and drinking? Alternative water sources can be used for all other purposes. Rainwater and grey water often unnecessarily flow into the waste, yet they can be used very effectively.

Rainwater can be easily directed from the gutter into a tank. This water can be used not only for watering the garden, but after suitable treatment and filtration, it can also be used in the household as utility water, for flushing toilets or cleaning.

Grey water is wastewater from the household that does not contain faeces, urine, and organic impurities, mainly water from the bathroom. Recycling grey water using so-called grey water treatment plants provides a source of quality utility water for free. Such treated water is also suitable for personal hygiene.

Collecting rainwater and recycling grey water can bring financial savings of approximately 10,000 CZK per year to an average household.

Water the garden preferably with rainwater and try to prevent water evaporation.

Rely on Your Own Water Sources

Drawing water from your own sources (well or borehole) may not have a positive impact on the environment, but it can provide you with the necessary self-sufficiency and financial savings. Moreover, you can influence the quality of this water yourself.

If you do not yet have your own well, have a professional hydrogeological assessment carried out to determine if you have a sufficiently abundant source on your property. Prefer a deep borehole, as shallow dug wells dry up quickly today, and due to the lack of water, your investment may not pay off.

After building your own borehole, have a professional drinking water analysis carried out. This will reveal what types of contamination are present in the water. It may include:

Mechanical impurities, which can be easily removed with a water filter with a sieve.
Chemical and organic contamination, which can be handled by a carbon filter, which also improves the smell and taste of the water.
Biological contamination (bacteria, viruses, microorganisms), which poses a risk to your health and needs to be addressed with appropriate disinfection.

Specific methods of water filtration and treatment should always be proposed by an expert based on the water analysis.

Each of us can contribute to improving the state of water resources in the Czech Republic. Adapt your home and garden to persistent drought and help nature cope with climate change.