Right, so let’s get real about water. Most people realize we’re a water planet, and therefore think there’s a lot of water to be had, so why worry about it? Let’s break down the numbers. About 97% of the water out there is salt water–we can’t drink it. The other 3% is fresh water, but of that 2.5% is locked up in icebergs, glaciers, and aquifers. That leaves us a mere 0.5% as surface water, and most of it has been polluted. In other words, we have to make it clean by processing the contaminants before we pump it through pipes into our homes. We’re not getting any more water, and with population growth, the demand for clean water is growing. 

We have to get real about water conservation.

One way to save water is by checking your plumbing for leaks. A dripping faucet can lose 20 gallons of water a day, which translates to a potential waste of over 7,300 gallons of water a year. Do you have a leaky faucet, shower head, or toilet pipe? Look for damp and/or moldy spots in the walls, or puddles on the floor, under the sink, or around the toilet or tub. To check if your toilet flapper valve is leaking, put some food dye in the toilet tank, wait for 15 minutes, and look in the toilet bowl. If you see color in the bowl, you have a leak. Replace the flapper valve at your earliest opportunity.

When it comes to hygiene and indoor water conservation, sometimes less is more. Why take long, hot, and frequent showers just to turn around and use tons of lotion to get moisture back into your skin? Instead, preserve the natural oils on your skin by taking fewer, cooler, and shorter showers. This will save you time and lotion, and lower your water bill. If you have to shower more than once a day, try switching one of those showers to a sponge bath. You also don’t need to wash your hair every time you take a shower. Not only does this waste water it also dries out your hair, making you spend money on hair conditioner and other hair care products.

For goodness sake, don’t let the water run as you brush your teeth or shave. You might as well be watching your money flow down the drain. Turn those taps off!

We waste water following many nonsensical social dictates. If you only wore your clothes once and they’re still clean, wear them again before washing. Phoenix and I get our clothes pretty dirty on the homestead. But really, how dirty do our clothes get when sitting in an office all day? Also, when doing laundry, select the right water level for the amount of clothing being washed. Some of the newer machines weigh your load and adjust the amount of water accordingly. Some even have an eco-setting to lower the amount of water and energy a load requires.

By making these simple changes, we save water, lower our water bills, and pollute less, not to mention lessening the monetary and packaging issues from skin-care and hair-care products. The next generation depends on us conserving that 0.5% of water usable by humans.

Next blog post: Part 2: Long-term water solutions for the outdoors (By K)