Water Conservation

Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who did nothing because be could only do a little.

- Edmund Burke

Water is one of our most precious resources, one most of us have taken for granted. We seem to have become rather spoiled, knowing that an abundant supply of water will always be available when we turn on our tap. However, this abundance of water may not always be there if we do not change some of our water-use habits. It is time for us to realize that our good water supplies are disappearing at an alarming rate. The needs of humanity are changing drastically, and nature is having a difficult time keeping up with our demands. According to the Worldwatch Institute, underground water tables are being depleted in North America, Africa, China, India, and the Soviet Union. The levels of groundwater are now falling between 4 to 6 feet per year in over 25 percent of the irrigated land in the U.S.

Because of increasing population worldwide, greater likelihood of droughts caused by global warming trends, increasing pollution of our groundwater, factory consumption of water, water leaking through fractured pipes before even reaching our tap, and our own lack of awareness toward water conservation, it is a vital necessity that we make every effort to conserve our precious and diminishing water supply.

From 1950 to 1980, the world’s use of water increased from using about 10 percent to using 50 percent of the planet’s available annual water supply. The average American home uses almost 300 gallons of water per day. Seventy-five percent of the water we use flows through our bathrooms, more water than anywhere else in the house. A shower uses up to 4 gallons of water per minute, brushing your teeth or shaving can use up to 10 gallons if you leave the tap on, and a leaky faucet can lose up to 50 to 100 gallons per day. And last but not least, the greatest water waste takes place everytime we flush our toilets. Twenty-five percent of all the domestic water consumed in most countries goes down the toilet.

Another very important factor to consider is that over 50 percent of the total amount of water used in the United States goes to irrigate land for growing feed and fodder for livestock (meat). In his enlightening book, Diet For A New America, John Robbins points out that our rapidly disappearing water supply can be traced directly to our nation’s habit of eating meat. It takes an average of 2,500 gallons of water to produce only one pound of meat, as much as a typical family uses for all of its household needs in a month. It takes anywhere from 3 gallons to 100 gallons of water to produce one serving of most grains, vegetables, or fruit crops. Compare this to the 2,600 gallons of water it takes to produce a serving of steak, the 1,300 gallons it takes for a hamburger, or the 400 gallons required for chicken or pork. It takes less water to produce one year’s food for a person on a vegetarian diet than it takes to produce one month’s food for a person who eats meat.

From now on when you are using water, be aware you are using a precious resource, and it is not flowing from an endless source! Let’s give some thought to our water-use habits (and our eating habits) and learn to conserve water. Spend a little time educating yourself, your family, and friends, and consider installing the water saving devices mentioned below in your home.

Things You Can Do to Make A Difference:

* Use a water saving device in your toilet to reduce the amount of water needed to flush. A quart size bottle will work, as will toilet dams and displacement bags which are available from several manufacturers or local hardware stores. These devices will save a gallon or two per flush. (Experiment with different sizes so the bottle does not interfere with your flushing mechanism.)

* Consider the practice of not flushing your toilet every time you use it. Flushing the toilet uses more water than anything else in the house. If you cut your flushing habits in half, you can save up to 16.5 gallons of water per day. Relax — you don’t need to flush everytime you urinate!

* If you are building a new home, consider installing an ultralow-flush, air-assisted, or self composting toilet. New low-flush toilets use only 1.5 gallons per flush as compared to 5 to 8 gallons per flush on standard toilets.

* Take shorter showers, and change over to a low-flow shower head. These devices are designed to use up to 75 percent less water than standard showerheads. This can save the average family up to $8.00 per month in water bills and up to $15.00 per month in electricity for heating the water. If only 100,000 families used low-flow faucets, we would save over 4 billion gallons of water per year.

* Install faucet aerators on all of your taps. These devices mix air with the water. They use less water but do not reduce the strength of the water flow. A family of four could save up to 3,300 gallons of water per year using faucet aerators. If every American home installed aerators we would save 250 million gallons of water each day.

* Repair all leaks in toilets and faucets (leaks can waste 50 to 100 gallons per day).

* Don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth or shave.

* Take short showers instead of baths.

* Water your lawn or garden at night or early in the morning to minimize evaporation.

* Sweep your sidewalk or driveway instead of hosing it down.

* When washing your dishes, fill the sink with water instead of letting the water run continually. When you rinse your dishes, turn on the faucet only halfway.

* Use your dishwasher only when it is full. If you are planning to buy a dishwasher, be sure to select a water-saving, energy efficient model.

* Eat more grains, beans, fruits and vegetables as opposed to meat. Reducing the amount of meat you consume, or adopting a more vegetarian lifestyle, will help save more water than just about any other single thing you can do. As mentioned, the beef industry is responsible for enormous amounts of water depletion, as well as drastically depleting many other natural resources.

For Further Information Contact:

*Rocky Mountain Institute - 1739 Snowmass Creek Rd., Snowmass, CO 81654-9199 (303) 927-3128 – An excellent resource for water efficiency research and policies.

* Clean Water Action - 1320 18th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 457-1286. A citizens’ organization working toward clean, safe water and protecting our natural resources.

* Worldwatch Institute – 1776 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036-1904 (202) 452-1999. Offers a report called Conserving Water: The Untapped Alternative (available for $4).

* For water-saving showerheads and faucet aerators, refer to either Co-op America, Real Goods, or Eco Source catalogs. The Real Goods catalog offers “low-flush” and “self-composting” toilets. Co-op America Catalog – 2100 M St. NW, Suite 403, Washington, D.C. 20063 (202) 872-5307/ (800) 424-2667. Real Goods – 966 Mazzoni St., Ukiah, CA (800) 762-7325. Eco Source – 380-F Morris St.,Sebastopol, CA 95472 (800) 688-8345 / (707) 829-7957.