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 Water is an essential component of all life on earth and so one of our most precious resources. Yet daily it faces threats from a plethora of dangers including overuse, pollution and drought. With our personal health and that of the environment at stake, it makes sense to take the steps we can to preserve and protect our water supply. Here are ten easy things you can do now to help make every drop of the planet’s water count:
- Become educated. The first step in defending drinking-water supplies is education. Obtaining a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is the best way to learn about the quality of your water. Once you discover unique issues facing your locality, you will be able to participate in public decisions about water treatment and make informed choices about properly filtering your family’s water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers online links to information about your local water supply, including CCR reports in some cases.
- Raise public awareness. Post informational signs around a water source to advise residents of local water issues. Last fall, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that a local conservation group did just that. “If we can instill a sense of place with the watersheds, residents will tend to provide stewardship,” commented Angie Stuart, a program specialist with the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County. Signs serve as a reminder of a delicate environment and help encourage citizens to be more conscious actions that may contribute to the creation of pollution.
- Volunteer in your community. Locate a group dedicated to protecting your water supply, or start one. The Adopt Your Watershed program can help connect you with a local water-protection group. The EPA also provides information on starting a community-action organization of your own.
- Conserve household water. According to the EPA, most households spend approximately $500 each year on water and sewer bills. By implementing a few easy changes, this amount can be cut by a third. For example, fixing a leaky faucet can save about 3,000 gallons per year. Leaky toilets flush money down the drain when they run, so be sure to fix them promptly. Better yet, upgrade to low-flow toilets. Switching from baths to showers is another easy way to conserve water. If you take a bath, plug the drain immediately rather than letting the water run until it reaches the proper temperature. These tips are easy to incorporate into a daily routine, and can help your family conserve both water and money.
- Install eco-friendly appliances. This is a more expensive water-conservation method, but the upgrades do pay for themselves within a few years. Front-load washers, which thanks to consumer demand have become more affordable, require half the water of conventional washers and save approximately $100 per year in energy costs. If all US households turned their laundry rooms green with eco-friendly appliances, we would save more than three trillion gallons of water and $18 billion per year.
- Employ eco-friendly landscape technologies. “Enviroscaping” uses the landscape to conserve water and energy. This earth-conscious technique involves planting drought-tolerant plants and mulching to retain water and control weeds. Enviroscaping also incorporates plants that will protect your home in both the summer and winter to reduce heating and air-conditioning costs.
- Use water-saving irrigation methods. Reduce evaporation and conserve water by watering outdoor plants either early or late in the day. Also, position your sprinkler system so that it waters the soil rather than the concrete and asphalt.
- Avoid using harmful pesticides and fertilizers. The chemicals in these products pollute water supplies by traveling through storm drains and mixing with ground water. A better option is to purchase environmentally friendly pesticides and fertilizers or go completely organic.
- Properly dispose of pesticides, fertilizers and hazardous chemicals you already own. Otherwise, leftover paint, cleaners and other chemicals can easily seep into the earth and contaminate the ground water. Check your local community’s website to find out where to take your hazardous waste for appropriate disposal.
- Shop green. Support businesses that engage in green practices such as recycling and document-digitizing, using energy-saving appliances and supporting environmental organizations. By embracing businesses working to lessen their carbon footprints, you also encourage other businesses to go green.
Protecting our water supply is critical. Fortunately, doing so need not mean a major change in lifestyle. Simple things like the timely repair of leaky faucets, adjusting sprinklers and incorporating drought-resistant plants into your landscape can go a long way toward preserving our water and watersheds now and well into the future. A few small actions here and there may seem like a drop in the bucket, but they will add up quickly to help ensure that your body, biosphere and bank account are all richly rewarded.
Additional resources:
EPA: Source Water Protection
There’s Something in the Water...and It Shouldn't Be There
Fresh Water Supplies At Risk
How to Choose and Use a Home Rainwater Catchment System
What You Need to Know about Drugs and Chemicals in Your Drinking Water
Know Your Lifeboat: An Interview With Permaculturist Brock Dolman
All About Wells: A Guide to Your Own Personal Water Supply
Water Woes: The Impending H2O Crisis
Deep Ocean Reverence: An Interview with Wallace J. Nichols
Updated 8/10/10; originally posted 2/6/09.
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