Six Ways to Conserve Water

 

 As you well know the Northwest and California are under severe weather seizures as is much of the Northeast. However years of drought have dried up reservoirs that will takes years of rain and snow to refill. Many other parts of our country like Georgia have been under a five year plus drought. Some of their main lakes that supply water, linger on the dangerously low side in spite of recent rains.

     This area of water conservation is stretching the cleaning realm of this newsletter a bit but it is so direly important, I feel compelled to share tips that could mean extending our water supply for years. If 5 million people would conserve just 1 gallon of water a day, it would save nearly 1.9 billion gallons of water a year. Just think of the savings if each person in the United States would conserve just a gallon of water a day. It would run into the trillion of gallons saved each year.

     Let's take a look at some of the water conservation RVers use to avoid using excess water.

1)       When they warm up the shower water in the morning, they let the cold water run into a bucket, which they use for washing dishes. Use that water for plants or trees if you live in an area that prohibits the use of sprinklers or outdoor watering. Take short five minute showers. If you are in a drought area, purchase a shower head that turns off at the head itself. Soak down, turn the water off, soap up then turn the water back on to rinse off. Turning the water off at the head keeps your water hot when you turn it back on to rinse.  Savings? Around 2 to 3 gallons of water a day per person.

2)       Don't run your dishwasher. Use it only as a drying rack for dishes you wash by hand. Dishwashers require enormous amounts of water. This measure alone will save you 10 to 15 gallons of water a week depending on the number of times you run your dishwasher. . As you cook, fill up one side of your sink with hot water. Use that water for washing pots or utensils as you cook.

3)       Sorry men but turning off the water while you shave you will save half a gallon of water. Fill the sink half full of water instead – yes using the water you caught in the shower.

4)       Turn off the faucet when you brush your teeth or wash your face. Use a washcloth rather than running water over your face. Savings? A half gallon of water.

5)       Do your flower beds a favor and save a corner of your yard for table scraps – no not meat or bones. Any kind of vegetable or fruit peel, including rinds, break down quickly in the soil. Use your shovel to chop them into small pieces, dig them under and you have the richest garden soil you could ever want. Egg shells don't break down very quickly. Savings? 3 or 4 gallons of water running the disposal. You also save those scraps from going into the sewer system when you put them down your disposal, which is a huge plus for Mother Earth.