Today, states and cities across the US are increasingly confronted with the looming threat of water shortages. Last summer Georgia, Florida and Mississippi repeatedly faced ominous images of receding waterlines at local lakes and reservoirs. This year, summer has barely started and already states like Nevada and Utah are dealing with droughts, while California has already initiated state-wide water conservation measures.

Some scientists are saying that in the near future (read: 2040-2060) much of the American West will be experiencing less rainfall, smaller snowpacks, and overall, less water. So the question quickly becomes: How can your family reduce your water waste without cutting back on your quality of life?

Well, apparently (according to the experts at NRDC) you can do a lot.

THE SMALL STUFF

[1] Shower Savers

Shockingly, showers account for up to 32 percent of home water use. So what to do? Shower smarter.

If you have small kids, start saving water today by turning bath time into play time: wash the kids together and save time, money, and a couple tubfulls of water.

Or, if you want to reduce water use while keeping your favorite showerhead, try purchasing a flow control valve and installing it between the arm and the head. It won’t reduce water as much as a low-flow showerhead, but it’s a step in the right direction.

For the best water savings buy a low-flow version of what you have now.  Just by installing a WaterSense label showerhead families can cut their shower time water use in half. In fact, families of four could save enough water each year to fill a 30ft x15ft x6ft swimming pool!

 

[2] Things that flow: Faucets

While you’re at the hardware store, pitch in a few bucks for a faucet aerator. Placing these inside faucets saves 3 to 4 gallons per minute when you turn on the tap.

If you don't feel like buying something new you can also just reach under your sink and use the flow control valve to reduce the water flow to your faucet. Fiddle around until you find the flow that’s satisfying but more modest than the usual torrential pour.

And of course there are the simple savings, such as turning the faucet off while soaping your face, shaving, or brushing your teeth. Rinse. Then repeat.

 

[3] Toilet Tips

Like showers, toilets are water hogs. In fact, about 40 percent of the water used in the home gets flushed down the toilet each day. What to do? With standard toilets you really have only two choices:

Choice 1: take a plastic milk jar, fill it with water, stones, etc. Place the weighted jug in the toilet tank to displace water and reduce the about of liquid used in each flush.

Choice 2: upgrade your porcelain throne to a dual flush or low flow toilet and reduce the water washed down the drain by 2 to 3.5 gallons, per flush.

 

[4] Use the Dishwasher, Not the Sponge.

What other place is your water is secretly being wasted? Look to your kitchen sink. An open faucet lets about 5 gallons of water flow every 2 minutes. Instead of soaping up by hand, run the dishwasher only when it’s full and save between 10 and 20 gallons of water a day.

Alternately, if you love doing dishes, try washing them by hand in a sink or dishpan containing water, rather than running the tap continuously as you scrub.

 

[5] If It’s Leaking, It’s Broken

Water from leaky faucets accumulates just as quickly as snowflakes or raindrops. A dripping faucet can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day [that’s enough clean water to hydrate a family of four for 8.9 days [based on 0.56 gal/day/person]. Worse yet, a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons every day.

Fix leaks and drips as soon as possible to avoid high water bills and save the water lost for something more pleasurable. Even with things like fixing outdoor garden faucets it’s easy to find DIY instructions online.

 

[6] About All Those Plants… Fertilize less, mow taller and water smarter.

Planning on doing new landscaping? Try Succulents or native plants, some can go over a week without watering.

As for managing what you already have…

- leave the mower clippings on the lawn to slow down evaporation.

- don’t fertilize, like your kid, the faster it grows the more it eats.

- allow your grass to grow a bit taller and you’ll reduce water loss by providing more ground shade for roots and promoting soil water retention.

- and buy a rain barrel to catch rain runoff so you can water your plants with waste rather than the stuff coming our of your faucet

When watering your plants, water early [before 6am] or late [after midnight] and don’t water every day [skipping days will encourage deeper roots and drought resistance].

If you’re not a morning person or a night owl, invest in an irrigation timer to maximize your zzz’s while minimizing your water waste.

IN SHORT

The water you use matters. A family of four could save enough drinking water to sustain themselves for 26 years, just by replacing their conventional showerheads with low-flow showerheads for one year.

For more solutions see what your local community is doing to cut back on water waste, get involved, or when you only have a little time, browse websites with watersaving tips.

[When in doubt, do the math yourself:  ~20,000  gallons water are saved per year by families of four that switch to low-flow WaterSense label showerheads from conventional ones. 1 healthy person drinks approx 0.52 gallons per day. A family of four drinks 2.08 gallons per day… so 20,000 gallons could last them 9,615 days OR 26 years]