Bottom Line:

Only 3% of Earth’s water is freshwater (the rest being saline), and most of that freshwater is frozen in icecaps and glaciers which means only 0.5% of Earth’s water is usable to us! Therefore we need to conserve and protect our ground and surface waters that we use every day to ensure an adequate and clean supply for the future.

Discussion and Recommendations:

We harm our water supply through excessive withdrawal, pollution, or inefficient use of our fresh water supplies. On average the United States uses over twice as much water per capita for domestic purposes as France, over 4 times as much as India, and over 6 times as much as China (http://wbcsd.org/DocRoot/1akheXxfOpeGtgrJS8sI/Water_facts_and_trends.pdf). This current level of water usage is not sustainable; according to a recent government survey, 36 states predict local, regional, or statewide water shortages by 2013 (http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/water/why.htm). A depleted or contaminated water supply can negatively impact human health, economic development, and the natural environment and biodiversity. We can all incorporate simple changes in our daily routine that will preserve our valuable water resources, which in turn sustains our health and way of life.

• Don’t fear the “low-flow”! High-efficiency and low-flow technology in toilets, faucets, and showerheads has progressed since its inception, so purchasing high-efficiency equipment today will not mean sacrificing performance. On the other hand, consider this:
   
  • Toilets are the largest source of water use inside the home, so repairing leaks or upgrading to a newer and more efficient model will save both water and money. Consider WaterSense labeled toilets, which can save 4,000 gallons per year (http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/toilets.htm) when compared to an older model toilet.
     
  • Depending on the age of your faucet and showerhead, when you turn on the tap water will flow at anywhere from 2-7 gallons per minute (to use a visual, picture that many plastic gallon jugs of milk from the grocery store!). Upgrade old faucets to newer fixtures that use water more efficiently, and remember that simply turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save 3,000 gallons per year (http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/bathroom_faucets.htm).
     
• Also consider that using water means using energy. Electricity is required to transfer, treat, and heat our water. The third largest contributor to our monthly energy bill is the water heater (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/water_heating.html), so conserving water also means saving electricity and the resources and costs behind both!
   
• If you get your water from a public supply, do you know where it comes from? Surface sources (such as lakes and rivers) account for 63% of public supply and the other 37% comes from ground water (http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/circ1268/htdocs/text-ps.html) (accessed via wells). Call your local water supplier and find out about your water source! Spread the word in your community and increase awareness of where exactly your drinking water comes from to promote a sense of ownership and be an active part of taking care of your water supply.
   
  • Remember that the water within a lake or aquifer does not just come from the immediate area but from the whole watershed or recharge zone. Both surface and ground water are susceptible to pollutants from within these areas. Organize a community clean-up day to keep trash out of your local reservoir.
     
  • Surface waters are especially affected by stormwater runoff because this runoff either empties directly into lakes and streams or is routed through a storm sewer system which then empties into these bodies of water untreated. Runoff can come from industry, farms, and our own homes. Be aware of how you dispose of hazardous materials (such as batteries, cleaners and chemicals, etc.), the condition of your septic tank, and the amount of fertilizers and pesticides you use so they don’t end up in your drinking water or swimming hole. Also, permeable surfaces allow rainwater to filter down into the ground, which creates some natural filtration. Use permeable pavement, gravel, or other porous surfaces in place of traditional concrete where appropriate to decrease stormwater runoff.
     
  • If aquifers are used more quickly then they can be recharged by water seeping down from the surface, the water table may drop below the extent of wells. The wells will have to be deepened and the lowered water table itself can cause other environmental hazards.
     
• Almost one-third of residential water use in the US goes towards landscape irrigation, with the greatest usage occurring in the drier regions of the US (http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/outdoor.htm).  One approach to reducing this consumption is called, xeriscaping, the art and science of landscaping to minimize the need for irrigation.
   
  • Landscaping with native plants suited to your climate will ensure your utilizing, instead of struggling to overcome, the weather conditions of the area (minimizing maintenance on your part!) as well as benefit the local fauna by providing habitat and food.
     
  • Water on calm days and in the early morning to prevent waste due to wind and evaporation, and use a rain barrel to collect rainwater for use when watering.
     
  • Use soaker hoses instead of traditional sprinklers to use water more efficiently.
     
  • Check to see if you are over watering your lawn: step on the grass, if the blades spring back they don’t need water.
     
  • Mulch garden beds and around trees and shrubs to retain more water in the soil surrounding the plant roots.

Think about the other ways you use water and how to do it more efficiently: sweep driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing them down; use a cover for swimming pools to reduce evaporation; if you run the water while waiting for it to warm up collect that water in a container and use it for watering; lastly, consider that water is used in every step along the way for producing goods, from the mining and refining through production and transportation, so less consumption means more water conservation.

Remember that it is possible to deplete or contaminate our freshwater sources before the water cycle and Mother Nature can replenish or cleanse them. For instance, why is it that there is a market for bottled water? Part of it can be attributed to marketing and hyper-health consciousness. Much of it can be attributed to growing concerns about the quality of ground water due to run-off, pesticide, wastewater and e-coli contamination of fresh water supplies. Additionally, many are rightfully concerned about the unintended consequence of the chemicals that public water suppliers use to treat water. Though the cost of public water is still negligible today, if we do not protect our water supply is it not feasible that our costs of accessible, clean water in our plumbing systems could rise as much as our drinking water has? If we all take action, we’ll see the impact not only on the individual scale in our lower monthly bills, but also on the cumulative scale as our water supplies continue to provide for us.