Public Works - Water Conservation

The availability of water, now and in the future, should be a concern for everyone. In most areas of the country water has been readily available, but this situation is changing. There are constantly new demands on our water supply. Sometimes that supply may be less than other times because of climatic conditions such as a drought, a disaster, or just a breakdown in the water system.

 

Conserving water also conserves other resources: energy and money. It costs money to pump water and make it available in our homes, for irrigation, and for business and industrial uses. Energy is required to pump, move, and to purify water. Both energy and money are required to heat water, whether it is the water we heat and use, or the water we heat and waste through poor management practices.

 

By becoming more aware of your water use habits, you can reduce water consumption, eliminate waste, and save energy and money.

 

How much water do you use in a day? A gallon? Do you use 25, 50, or even 100 or more gallons? Few people know how much they use. Studies show wide variation in the amount of water used by rural and urban households. Water use ranges form 66 to 118 gallons per person per day, with urban households using larger amounts.

 

Imagine what it would be like to turn on the tap and not get a drop of water. People in some parts of the country know this does happen. They are learning how to conserve water. They know that water is a limited resource. Water shortages are now a local or regional problem. Some day they may be a national problem. It is wise to learn now how to conserve water.

 

The following checklist is designed to help you see how effectively you are using water, and to alert you to ways to save. As you read this list, check the steps you have already taken to conserve water. Note what you still need to do to become a better manager of water resources.

 

 

Water Conservation Checklist :

 

- Test for a leaking toilet by adding food coloring to the tank. If any color appears in the bowl after 30 minutes, your toilet is leaking. Leaking toilets waste 200 gallons of water a day.

 

- Use water conserving plumbing fixtures and water flow constrictors on sinks and showers. If you don’t have a low-flow toilet, place two half-gallon plastic bottles filled with water in your toilet tank. This saves one gallon of water each time you flush.

 

- Run your dishwasher and wash clothes only when you have a full load.

 

- Take short showers instead of a bath. Baths can use 30 to 50 gallons of water. Showers use 5 gallons of water per minute, less if flow constrictor is installed.

 

- Check your water meter while no water is being used. If the dials are moving then you have a water leak.

 

- Don’t run water continuously when washing dishes, brushing your teeth, washing your hands and face, or shaving.

 

- Store drinking water in the refrigerator to avoid trying to run it cool at the tap.

 

- Avoid using a garbage disposal. Disposals use a great deal of water. Add your garbage to the compost or trash instead of putting it down the garbage disposal.

 

- Choose plants that are native to the area you live or plants that are drought resistant for landscaping and gardens. Native plants are use to the natural amount of precipitation that occurs in the area they found and normally do not require any additional watering. This known as Xeriscaping.is  

 

- Water lawns and gardens during the coolest part of the day and only when grass shows signs of withering. Use drip irrigation to apply water slowly exactly where it is needed. Collect rain from the gutter system on a house in a rain barrel to use for watering.

 

- Use a bucket of water and a spray head on the hose to wash your car. A running hose waste over 100 gallons of water in the time it takes to    wash a car.