kind classics: easy ways to conserve water!
Everywhere, the issue of water conservation is becoming more important. For example, the average Los Angeles resident uses 155 gallons of water per day, which adds up to 215 billion gallons of water used annually in Los Angeles alone. This is not sustainable!
The national average daily water use is 80-100 gallons, most of which comes from flushing the toilet and showering. These numbers tell us loud and clear that we can all do more to conserve one of our most vital resources!
Because LA is a desert city that gets all of its water from other regions, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is extra conscious of promoting conservation. LADWP offers these water conservation tips that can be applied anywhere:
- Install a water saving showerhead LA residents can get one for free by calling 1-800-U-ASK-DWP
- Take shorter showers
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving
- Check faucets and pipes for leaks
- Use your dishwasher for full loads only
- Use your clothes washing machine for full loads only
- Don't leave tap water running
- Consider native and drought-tolerant plants and grasses
- Do not allow the hose to run as you wash your car
- Water your lawn deeply and less frequently
- Water early in the morning or late in the evening
- Change lawn and plant watering schedule seasonally
- Use a broom instead of a hose
These habits are just the bare minimum we can do to conserve water! Do you have any other tips for minimizing water use?
Related Stories:
Kind Classics: Beware of Plastic Water Bottles!
Have You Seen the Documentary "Tapped"?
A California High School Goes Green
EBay's Easy Electronics Recycling Program
10 comments
-
I'm a big water saver myself, but the water used in toilets, the sink, and the tub.. that goes back to the water treatment center, gets retreated, and comes back to your house. I know this because my uncle works in a water treatment center. Of course it's still better not to send so much water back to the treatment center in the first place. :)
-
I find it interesting the disconnect between water scarcity and how we use water. For example, some of your tips include how to water your lawn. But the reality is that watering your lawn at all is a waste - plant natural species of grass/ground cover that are naturally adapted to the amount of rainwater in your area. I realize this is out of most people's control, but it's just an example.
-
You can also take an empty bottle and fill it with sand or rocks and put it in the tank of your toilet. That way the tank uses less water to fill up and consequently, you use less water to flush! If you have your own home and you can get a composting toilet those aren't a bad option either but for us apartment dwellers this little trick could save lots of water in the long run.
-
Where I live and work, we actually have a councilman drive around and patrol residences outdoor water consumption. We can only use our sprinklers three days a week and can be fined if you do not follow this rule.
-
Yes, it is interesting that people are concerned about their vehicle uses more than healthly drinking waters. I am not surprised by with all the media that promotes going out and everything else. I think there should be more celebrities promoting going green even more than now. For example, think how big the rap and hip hop market is, imagine they started doing campaigns for buying eco friendly products and how its cool to drink and converse water.
That would be a blessing and then the people who actually watch all of these shows and such, would want to be cool and start purchasing green products and water filters.
-
In viewing the number of responses to the initial topic put forth here by Alecia...it would appear people are more concerned about their vehicle fuel and its source ( from the topic concerning the BP filling station ), than their drinking water.
I guess driving is more important than drinking.......water, that is.
-
So relieved that I practice most of these already and plan to practice the ones I don't. Love finding new ways to live greener.
-
Alecia....at 155 gallons a day, that is 13950 gallons in three months. I live next to Lake Superior where our city draws it's water from....I use 1800 gallons in the same period, and that costs appx $ 360.00.
That is an astonishing figure and I can see why you say that it is unstainable. Well that my Two Cents worth, not counting inflation, of course.
-
You are absolutely correct....current water usage is not sustainable, more so in areas where water is naturally scarce. One partial solution is a two piece composting toilet such as made by two or three companies. These units flush with 1 pint...your standard toilet is replaced and the composting unit fits directly underneath in the basement. It is incredible that in this time period we live in considering all of the advances in vehicles, electronics, building materials, how much sewage ( treated or not ) flows in our lakes, and the ocean, of course.
Unless people are better educated about water usage or are forced to pay high rates for it.......well then, we can certainly look forward to many problems concerning it's availability in the near future.
Lake Superior ( the largest lake of fresh water ...area wise... in the world ) has dropped by appx 36 inches in the past decade. A proposal to draw fresh water out of the Great Lakes to feed the US south west was talked about years back...not sure if that ever came to pass.
Regardless, we can survive on much less food than we currently consume...but we cannot survive at all without adequate potable water. It is our being.
-
Along with that - use reusable bottles to carry drinking water instead of buying plastic ones. The damage done by large companies (aka Coca Cola, Pepsi, Nestle, etc.) filling and selling plastic bottles of water is outrageous - and can often lead to water shortages in the areas they work. (Good documentaries to watch regarding this topic if you're interested are "Tapped" and "Flow".)
Great list overall - small steps to a more sustainable life for us all!
Available at:
Available at:
Join the Discussion!