Water Conservation
By Cailin Gerrans (Callista Gseran)
July 2010   

Over the last several years, water conservation has become a strong concern for many. First, let's look at some numbers. Roughly 71% of the earth's surface is covered by water, the other 29% by land. That 71% equals out to about 326,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons [3.26x1020] (326 million trillion gallons) of the stuff. When you think about it, it may sound like a lot. But most of that is saltwater.

Of that 71%, only about 2% of it is potable (drinkable).

> 1.6% of the planet's total water volume is frozen into the polar ice caps and glaciers.

> 0.36% is found underground in aquifers and wells.

> 0.036% is found in lakes and rivers.

> The rest is found in clouds as water vapor, plants, and inside us.

* The human body is 65% water, so if you weight 100 lbs, 65 lbs of that is water! ("How Much Water is on the Earth?")

Those were just a few interesting facts about water in general. Next, we'll look at some general water usage statistics, followed by ways to reduce and reuse water. Just for fun, I found a water use calculator on the US Geological Survey (USGS) website. Here's what I found. Keep in mind, these figures are estimates.

> Shower: 5 gallons per minute

* If you took a 15 minute shower, that would be 75 gallons

> Teeth brushing: 1 gallon

> Hands/face washing: 1 gallon

> Face/leg shaving: 1 gallon

> Dishwashing by hand: 5 gallons/load

> Clothes washing (machine): 10 gallons/load

> Toilet flush: 5 gallons/flush

* If you flush the toilet 5 times a day, thats 25 gallons

> Glasses of water drunk: 8 oz. per glass (1/16th of a gallon)
* Assuming one drinks 8 glasses a day, thats 64 oz. - .5 gal. (USGS.gov)

This adds up to 118.5 gallons. This however, doesn't take into account such things as watering the lawn, washing the car, etc. These are just examples of some of the more common activities that make up the bulk of water usage.

Now that we've seen a little about where all that water goes, let's consider ways to reduce water consumption. First, let's consider the shower. In this day and age, not many people have the "luxury" or the time to take a bath. So, they turn to the shower. A shower maybe be more... expedient, but it also lets water go down the drain...literally.

As we saw above, a common shower generally puts forth around three gallons of water per minute. There are a few ways to cut down on the wasted gallons. First, you can shorten your shower time. Even if you only shorten your shower by, say, 5 minutes - you save 25 gallons from slipping down the drain.

Another option is to completely turn off the water while you shave or soap up. The same goes for brushing your teeth, or washing your face. If you simply turn off the water, you can save 25 - 30 gallons a month.

As for the toilet? Toilets are one of the greatest water users in the home. Well, you can install a low-flow toilet. Low-flow toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush and can reduce water use by 23 - 46%, compared to conventional models that use 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush.

For a more cost effective method, you can purchase a displacement device that can be installed in the tank of your toilet. "The height of the water in the toilet tank is what causes the bowl to flush. Adding a displacement device (bag or plastic bottle) or a toilet-tank dam will reduce the amount of water used per flush. This technique works best for older toilet models (generally those manufactured before 1995). Be sure the displacement device does not interfere with the operation of the tank. Displacement devices can be purchased from many online retailers (UF Living Green).

Another water hog is the washer. If you have a newer washer, you can set the water level appropriately based on the size of the load. Also consider using a shorter wash cycle if possible. This limits water waste. Also, washing in cold water helps reduce the energy bill, and helps keep the colors from 'bleeding' from an item of clothes and staining the rest of your laundry.

Now that we've looked at some of the major things that use water, and ways to reduce the usage, let's look at ways to reuse waste water. Some more common sources of waste water are: dishwater, mop water, and rinse water from washing veggies and fruit. As a horticulturist, I'd advise switching to eco-friendly dish and laundry detergent if possible, but I understand if funds prevent that for many. One of friendly dish and laundry detergent if possible, but I understand if funds prevent that for many. One of the best uses for wash water is use it to water your lawn and plants (try washing your car on the lawn to reduce water runoff) instead of running more water just for that. The nitrogen in the soap is broken down by the plants to form oxygen.

Water conservation is a big concern area for me, and I hope that this article has helped bring this issue to light for you, the reader. Conserving and reusing water doesn't have to be this big and involved project, it can be small things. Try some of these and see how it reduces your water use. You might be surprised!

Sources:

"How much water is there on Earth?" 07 July 10

"How Much Water do you use at Home?" Water Science for Schools US Geological Survey Questionnaire 3 07 July 10

"Water Conservation" University of  Florida: IFAS Extension. Living Green: Solutions for your Life 13 July 10