Facts, Figures and Follies of Water Conservation
The following Facts, Figures and Follies are brought to you by the American Water Works Association (2004).
General Information
- There's as much water in the world today as there was thousands of years ago. Actually, it's the same water. The water from your faucet could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank. Perhaps Columbus sailed across it!
- Nearly 97 percent of the world's water is salty or otherwise undrinkable. Another two percent is locked in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves just one percent for all of humanity's needs - including agricultural, manufacturing, community and personal household needs.
- The U.S. uses some 450 billion gallons of water every day. Only about six percent of that - roughly 27 billion gallons - is taken by public water supply systems. The U.S. daily average of water pumped by those systems is 185 gallons per person.
- We drink very little of our drinking water. Generally speaking, less than one percent of treated water is actually consumed. The rest goes on lawns, in washing machines and down toilets and other drains.
- For around 50 cents, many communities deliver up to 1,000 gallons of fresh, clean drinking water to homes 24 hours a day.
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Indoor Facts, Figures and Follies
- If everyone in the U.S. flushed the toilet just one less time per day, we could save a lakeful of water about a mile long, a mile wide and four feet deep every day.
- Every glass of water brought to your table in a restaurant requires another two glasses of water to wash and rinse the glass. Because nearly 70 million meals are served each day by U.S. restaurants, we'd save more than 26 million gallons of water if only one person in four declined the complimentary glass of water.
- Indoor water use statistics vary from family to family and in various parts of the country, but they average out pretty reliably. Nearly 40 percent gets flushed down toilets, more than 30 percent is used in showers and baths, the laundry and dishwashing take about 15 percent, leaks claim 5 percent or more, which leaves about 10 percent for everything else.
- How many times a day is the toilet flushed at your house? If U.S. citizens averaged four to five flushes per day, it would amount to more than five billion gallons of water down the drain. That's enough water to supply the entire population of Chicago for more than six years!
- Little leaks add up in a hurry. A faucet drip or invisible toilet leak that totals only two tablespoons a minute comes to 15 gallons a day. That's 105 gallons a week and 5,460 wasted gallons of water a year.
- Ultra-low-flush toilets, which may cost from underr $100 to over $300, use only about 1.5 gallons of water per flush. That could cut your family's total indoor water use by as much as 20 percent.
- Which uses more water: a shower or a bathtub? It all depends. A partially filled tub uses much less water than a long shower, while a short shower is much more efficient than a brimful tub. If you shower in a bathtub, check yourself by plugging the tub to see how hi the water comes when you're finished.
- Any showerhead now manufactured in the U.S. is required by law to release no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Super low-flow showerheads can deliver as little as 1.25 gallons per minute and cost anywhere from $5 to $75.
- Is it possible that your toilet has a secret leak? You can test it by putting 10 drops of food coloring in the tank. Don't flush for 15 minutes. If the colored water shows up in the bowl, the tank is leaking.
- Some people thoughtlessly flush away tissues and other bits of trash in the toilet. Using a wastebasket instead, will save all those gallons of water that would be wasted down the drain.
- If someone in your family likes to shave with water running in the basin, the probably use at least one gallon per minute. A stoppered basin needs one-half gallon or so of water for adequate razor rinsing.
- Have you ever heard of showering "The Navy Way?" Because fresh water is relatively scarce on ships, sailors were tought to just get wet, and then turn off the shower while soaping and scrubbing, and turn it on again briefly to rinse off.
- Don't let the water run when you brush your teeth or when washing your face, because most of it will be wasted.
- If everyone in the U.S. could manage to use just one less gallon of water per shower every day, we could save some 85 billion gallons per year. How do you do it? By keeping the shower pressure lower or by taking shorter showers.
- Fill your dishwasher full because it will use the same amount of water for a normal cycle whether it contains a full load of dishes or just a few items. Also, don't wash your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Just scrape off the scraps and rinse.
- Water heaters are often set at 140 degrees. You can save energy by turning the temperature down to 130 degrees. Don't go any lower because some harmful could survive.
- Instead of letting the water run in the sink when you want a cool drink, keep a pitcher full of water in the fridge. Keeping the pitcher uncovered in the fridge can also allow chlorine molecules to escape into the air, thus improving the water's taste.
- Check every faucet in the house for leaks. A single dripping faucet can waste far more water in a single day than one person needs for drinking in an entire week.
- If you're cleaning your fishtank, use the dirty water on your houseplants. It's rich in nitrogen and phosphorous, which gives you a nice fertilizer while you use the same water twice.
- Check your water taps to see if they all have aerators or spray taps. An aerator mixes air with the water, which not only cuts the flow, but also reduces splashing.
- Make sure to select the appropriate water level for the size of your load of laundry. Most washers now offer pre-set water levels for small, medium and large loads. Use full loads whenever possible.
- Make sure you and your entire family knows where the master water shutoff valve is in your home. Quickly turning off the water in the event of a pipe burst or other water problem can save thousands of gallons of water and thousands of dollars.
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Outdoor Facts, Figures and Follies
- If you have a lawn, chances are it's your biggest water gobbler. Typically, at least 50 percent of water consumed by households is used outdoors. Inside the home, bathroom facilities claim nearly 75 percent of water used.
- Don't let your hose run if you're washing your car at home. Instead, wet the car, then turn off the hose while you wash the car with a bucket of soapy water. Use the hose again for a final rinse.
- Sweep outside with a broom, not the hose. Rinsing your driveway with water for just five minutes uses some 25 gallons of water.
- A good way to tell if your lawn needs water is by checking to see if footprints are left after walking across. Another sign is grass that turns a dull grey-green color.
- Don't sprinkle your grass lightly - deep-soak it. Light watering can't get water down deep into the soil. The grass develops shallower roots and is both less drought-resistant and more prone to winterkill.
- If you have an automatic sprinkler system, check the heads periodically. Be sure they haven't shifted direction to spray water on the side of the house, driveway or sidewalk instead of the lawn.
- Do your lawn watering early in the morning, between 4 and 6 a.m., when water demand is low. After around 10 a.m., both heat and evaporation go up, robbing the lawn of moisture. Sprinkling at night is fine for dry climates, but in humid climates the relatively cool, moist conditions can create an ideal environment for lawn diseases to develop.
- Don't water your lawn too much. If you use a hose, buy timer attachments (found at most hardware stores) that hook on between the faucet and the hose, or set a kitchen timer for 15 or 20 minutes to remind you to turn-off or move the sprinkler to a new location.
- Not all soil is the same. If your grass grows on mostly clay soil, between 1/4 and 1/2 inch of water per hour can be absorbed before it starts running off wastefully. If you have sandy soil, you'll need to water more often and for shorter periods of time.
- Grassy areas on sunny southern sides of buildings or on slopes and areas near sidewalks and driveways need to be watered more often. Shady areas and northern exposures need less frequent watering.
- Use root feeders or water-aerator probes around trees and bushes. Even for the biggest tree, you need to go no deeper than 18 inches, while 8 to 12 inches is plenty deep for smaller trees and shrubs. The probes get water precisely where it's needed and simultaneously creates lots of little holes that provide aeration benefits.
- Delay regular lawn watering during the first cool weeks of spring. This encourages deeper rooting and makes your lawn healthier for the rest of the summer. It also can delay the first time you have to mow.
- Adjust lawn watering to the weather. Following a heavy rain, for instance, skip your regular watering day until the grass needs it again. Teach everyone in your home how to turn off the automatic sprinkler system in case a storm comes through while you are watering.
- Sprinklers that throw large drops in a flat pattern are much more effective than those with fine, high sprays, which can be blown about and evaporated quickly.
- Water small areas of land by hand to avoid waste.
- Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. The grass blades grow longer and shade one another, as well as the ground, helping to fight off heat and hold moisture longer.
- Mow the lawn often, at least once a week. Try to cut no more than 1/3 of the grass blade, removing about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch at a time. If you mow the grass shorter than this, excessive shock occurs that causes grass to turn yellow despite your best sprinkling efforts.
- Minimize grass areas in your lawn, because less grass means less water demand.
- Try the concept of Xeriscape (pronounced Zer-i-scape), which means "landscaping for water conservation." The idea is to use plants that require less water.
- Mulch planting areas. Mulch covers open areas with tasteful good looks, helps keep the ground from overheating, holds moisture that would otherwise evaporate and discourages weeds.
- Consider installing drip irrigation for individual bushes, trees, flowers and garden areas. Drip systems are designed to get water slowly and directly to the roots of the plants where they need it most. They deliver water in terms of quarts or gallons per hour instead of per minute.
- If you have a swimming pool, get a cover for it. Evaporation can make hundreds and even thousands of gallons of water disappear. An average-size pool with average sun and wind exposure loses approximately 1,000 gallons of water per month, enough to keep a family of four in drinking water for a year and a half. A pool cover cuts the loss by 90 percent!
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 15 April 2009 04:30
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