Conserving Water
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Conserving Water |
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 Water
conservation is the most cost-effective and environmentally sound way to reduce
our demand for water. This stretches our supplies farther, and protects some of
our favorite lakes like
Mono Lake in California. Saving water also saves
energy. 6.5% of the energy used in the state of California is for pumping and
treating water--in fact, pumping water south (and uphill) in the State Water
Project accounts for 2-3% of all the electricity used in the state. And for your
personal energy bill, using less hot water saves on water heating. On the flip
side, saving energy and using alternative energy saves water, since electricity
production from fossil fuels and nuclear energy is responsible for 39% of all
freshwater withdrawals in the nation.Conserving water means smaller water bills if you live in an area serviced by a municipal water system. If your home is connected to a septic system, water conservation also can help prevent water pollution. Overloading a septic system may cause nutrient and bacterial contamination of nearby lakes and streams. There are many effective ways to conserve water in and around your home. Because such a large percentage of water use is in the bathroom, this is where water conservation efforts should begin. Install water-saving devices on faucets and showerheads. Take shorter showers. And when filling the tub, don’t let water run down the drain while waiting for it to get hot. Put a plastic bottle or a plastic bag weighted with pebbles and filled with water in your toilet tank. Displacing water in this manner allows you to use less water with each flush. Saves 5 to 10 gallons a day. That's up to 300 gallons a month, even more for large families. Better yet, for even greater savings, replace your water-guzzling five to seven gallon a flush toilet with a one and a half gallon, ultra-low flush model. Turning off the water while brushing your teeth can save a family 5 to 10 gallons per day. Rinse hand razors in a filled sink rather than under running water. When shampooing, turn off the water while lathering the hair. To conserve water in the kitchen, don’t let faucets run for washing or rinsing. Instead, fill a container with water or use the sink by stopping the drain. Wash all the vegetables for a meal at the same time. When washing anything, use a brush, washcloth, or your hand to dislodge particles of dirt rather than relying on the force of water to do the job. Don’t use the extra-long prewash and scrub cycles unless absolutely necessary. Do not use a garbage disposal except at the end of cooking or cleanup periods or when it is full. Whenever possible, don’t use the disposal at all. Compost vegetable peelings or put them in the garbage can. To conserve water outside, water only when necessary. It takes 660 gallons of water to supply 1,000 square feet of lawn with 1 inch of water. Water the lawn in the early morning to avoid evaporation losses. Irrigate the lawn slowly, deeply, and infrequently. In the garden, use drip irrigation or soaker hoses because they apply water slowly and directly to the soil. One of the many environmental issues in states like Florida stems from lawn care. There are currently five million acres of lawns in the state. Many people are watering more during the rainy season, and those who have an irrigation system often overwater. Fertilizers and insecticides used in lawn care often run off into our water systems, causing damage not only to the water quality, but to all flora and fauna along the water system. Xeriscape, and replace your lawn and high-water-using trees and plants with less thirsty ones. Xeriscaping is a conceptual form of gardening that uses drought-tolerant plants and grasses to beautify a home or business. It does not mean gardening with only cacti, succulents and rock. It means to landscape a garden with plants that use lesser amounts of water to help people lower their water bill and reduce maintenance. If it were better understood, xeriscaping and drought tolerant design would be practiced more often than it already is. |
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