Water Conservation

Hello friends…Nature Dave is back this week with a few tips on water conservation.  I’ve heard many people say, “Why is it so important to save water? We have so much of it.”  That is true…our oceans are big, and there is a lot of water out there.  However, it is very expensive and takes a lot of energy to take the salt out of ocean water.  So most of the water that we use in our homes comes from less than 1% of all the water in the world, and we cannot use that water for drinking or cooking or growing food until it goes through a treatment plant to have the impurities removed.  One of the most important reasons to conserve water is that we use it faster than we are able to treat it.

So…what can you do to conserve water?  Here are a few ideas.

1.    Don’t let the water run.  One of the easiest changes you can make in your daily routines is to turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth, getting all soaped up in the shower, and washing the dishes.  Turn the water back on when you are ready to rinse.  The few minutes in between getting wet and rinsing can save between one and ten gallons of water or more!
2.    Reuse water when possible.  This one takes just a little bit more effort, but a great way to do your own “recycling” of water is to collect rainwater.  By putting a large bucket or barrel under a rainspout, you can reuse the collected rain water on flowers, gardens, and the lawn, which saved the treated water for human use.
3.    Tighten up leaky valves.  If you have a dripping faucet somewhere in the house, a few turns of a wrench could save you 500 gallons of water per month!
4.    Shorten your shower.  By limiting your shower to five minutes or less, you can save up to 1,000 gallons of water per month.
5.    Wait for a full load.  Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when you have full loads.

These are just a few simple ways to conserve water…and save on water bills as well.  Hopefully these ideas will get you thinking about other ways you can save water.  That’s all for this week.  Until next time, I’ll see you ‘round the ‘Bend!

–Nature Dave