Are you a water-waster? Although 70% of
the Earth’s surface is covered by water, our water supply is actually very
limited. 97% of Earth’s water is salt water or unusable and 2% is permanently
frozen, leaving only 1% available for human needs. It is up to us to conserve
what is left. May 7 - 13, 2017 is the American Water Works Association’s
annual Drinking Water Awareness Week, which is a perfect opportunity to recognize the importance of water. This
year’s local focus is water conservation; here are a few tips:
In the kitchen:
·
Keep a pitcher of
drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the
water is cool.
·
If
washing dishes by hand, plug the sink or use a wash basin instead of running
water the entire time.
·
Scrape your plate
instead of rinsing it before loading it into the dishwasher. Not rinsing
dishes prior to loading the dishwasher can save up to 10 gallons of water per
load.
·
Run
the dishwasher only when it’s full.
·
Try
composting instead of using the garbage disposal.
In the bathroom:
·
Turn
off the tap when brushing your teeth or shaving. This alone can save a household
more than 200 gallons of water per month.
·
Install
a water-saving shower head.
·
Take
a 5 minute shower instead of an 8 minute shower. This can save 7 gallons of
water with EVERY shower.
·
Fix
leaky appliances. Check for a toilet tank leak by adding a drop of food
coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear in the bowl
within 10 minutes. Make sure to flush immediately after this experiment to
avoid staining the tank.
In the laundry room:
·
Wash only full
loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on
the washing machine.
·
The
next time you purchase a washing machine, try a water-saving model.
Outside:
·
Use
a commercial car wash that recycles water.
·
Collect
rainwater to re-use for irrigation and watering.
·
Only
water the lawn or garden when rainfall isn’t enough. In general, lawns only
need up to one inch of water per week, including rainfall. Shrubs, trees and
other perennials need even less.
It is up to us to conserve our water
supplies. By making these tips every day habits, you can make a difference.
“Water: To know it is to love it.”
