With all the spring rain we’ve received so far, watering your garden or lawn is likely the last thing you’ve had to do.

But summer is getting closer (seriously, it’s going to arrive eventually!) and here’s a checklist of what you need to do for the hot weather:

Have all your outdoor plumbing items inspected to ensure they are working properly after a cold winter. A Lewis technician can ensure each outlet and connection is in perfect working order, without any leaks that will add to your water bill.

Test each connection. Hook up a hose to each outlet and see if it’s leaking water. Your hoses might need new washers to contain the water. All that leaking water is costing you money.

If you have a swimming pool, a Lewis MacLean 24-hour residential Plumbing Professional can inspect the water supply from your main water line to the pool. A swimming pool or hot tub requires a lot of water flowing and a poor connection or leak will get in the way of your entertainment.

Check out the watering regulations. Metro Vancouver’s regulations are in effect from June 1 to September 30, with even-numbered addresses allowed to sprinkle from 4 to 9 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and odd-number addresses on the other days of the week. Afternoon and evening watering is not allowed. According to MV, your lawn only needs to be watered one hour per week. One hour of watering your lawn equals 25 toilet flushes, 5 loads of laundry and 5 cycles of the dishwasher – combined.

Leave grass clippings on your lawn to help trap moisture and reduce the need to water.

Vegetable and flower gardens are exempt from the watering regulations, but don’t go overboard.

Set up a water barrel to capture all our rain water. This is perfect for using on the garden during hot stretches. It’s even good in case of emergencies.

When washing your car, use a spring-loaded nozzle to cut down on wasted water.