Water Wise Halton is a water conservation initiative to encourage you to become more water efficient. With the warmer weather approaching and many of us beginning to work on our lawns and gardens now is a good time to think about outdoor water efficiency. Households use millions of litres of clean, treated drinking water to maintain traditional lawns and gardens.

If you want to know how you can still enjoy beautiful lawns and gardens and spend less time watering this summer, then I encourage you to sign up for a free consultation from Halton's Water Efficiency Landscape Advisor. The Landscape Advisor will visit your home and provide water efficiency tips and tools to assist you in using less water.

By reducing outdoor water use, you can minimize your impact on the environment, extend the life cycle of Halton's water supply, reduce pressure on our water treatment systems at peak times, and even save money on your water bill.

To book your free Water Efficiency Landscape Visit this summer, please contact 905-825-6000, toll-free 1-866-442-5866 or TTY: 905-827-9833, e-mail, accesshalton@halton.ca.

We would like to encourage everyone to be Water Wise, a little conservation by all of us can make a significant difference. Here are some lawn care tips:

* Plant water efficient, drought tolerant plants.

* Use a rain gauge on your lawn to measure how much rain you're received and if you even need to water. Pick up your free rain gauge at Halton Region's main office or your Local Municipal office;

* Set your mower blade to 6.5 to 7.5 centimetres (2 1/2 to 3 inches) high Taller grass shades the roots and helps the soil stay moist.

To learn more about water efficiency outside your home and inside, contact Halton Region or visit www.halton.ca/waterconservation.

--Gary Carr is the chair of Halton Region