10 Easy Ways to Conserve Water

Tips for reducing your water use

The amount of drinkable water per person is dramatically shrinking. In fact, the availability of freshwater will decrease by 33 percent within the next 50 years due to an astronomical growth in population and a giant flux in weather patterns. Of the Earth's seeming wealth of water, only 2.5 percent is fresh water, and most of that is locked away in glaciers and ice caps, according to Global Water Policy Director Sandra Postel. Of that available fresh water, only a tiny amount is both drinkable and renewed by precipitation.

In many important agricultural regions -- including California's Central Valley and the southern Great Plains -- farmers are pumping water from aquifers faster than it can be replenished. The delta of the Colorado River, which has been diverted to provide water to seven U.S. states and Mexico, used to host a lush ecosystem comprised of hundreds of species of plants and wildlife. Now, because the river no longer reaches the Sea of Cortez, it's a landscape of salt flats, muddy pools, and cracked earth. Many waterways around the globe share the fate of the Colorado river.

Be a part of the solution with these 10 simple water conservation steps:

1. Install low-flow showerheads, taps, faucets, and toilets. According to the Albuquerque Water Conservation Office, older faucets use between 3 and 7 gallons per minute, while low-flow aerators reduce flow to 1.5 gallons per minute. Likewise, a low-flow toilet can reduce water used per flush by 30 percent, from approximately 5 gallons to 1.6 gallons.

2. Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, shaving, washing your hands, or rinsing dishes or vegetables. Each minute you have it off saves at least 3 gallons. In the shower, get wet, turn off the water to lather, then turn the water back on to rinse. To make this easy, some low-flow showerheads have levers to temporarily stop the water flow.

3. Fix dripping taps and leaking toilets by replacing washers and worn parts. A faucet drip or invisible leak in the toilet will waste up to 15 gallons of water a day, or 5,475 gallons a year. To check for toilet leaks, add 10 drops of food coloring to the tank. Wait 15 minutes. If color appears in the bowl, you have a leak.





8. Xeriscape. In arid regions, plant trees and shrubs that thrive on normal rainfall. Look for a nursery near you that specializes in native plants. Practice composting.

9. Plant densely in your garden. According to Howard-Yana Shapiro in his book Gardening for the Future of the Earth, the denser the vegetation, the more water is stored in what he calls "productive biomass," meaning food plants.

10. Eat less meat. According to the U.S. Geological survey, it takes 2,607 gallons of water to produce a single serving of steak and 408 gallons for a serving of chicken. A handful of almonds requires only 12 gallons to grow, rice needs 36 gallons, and lettuce and potatoes need only 6 gallons each.

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Tony422's picture
User offline. Last seen 6 years 11 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 02/14/2008

The best home water conservation product I've found is the Hot Water Lobster Instant Hot Water Valve! It's a recirculation system that uses my existing plumbing! It saves me a lot of time and water by not waiting for hot water! I installed the temperature adjustable recirculation valve under the sink farthest form my water heater and now I have instant hot water throughout my entire home. Iâ€™ve had it for almost 3 years and it still works perfectly!

Itâ€™s pump free so it creates no noise. The pumps I've had in the past have been noisy, not to mention I went through 2 of them in 3 years! The Hot Water Lobster is made in the U.S.A. and has a 10-year warranty! I installed it myself in 10 minutes! I bought it from their sit for only $179.95! I've saved that much already! Here's their site:


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