|
Water
Conservation Tips
According to a recent study conducted by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency
for Planning (CMAP), the demand for water in northeastern Illinois could
increase by 64 percent by 2050. A 2005 study commissioned by the McHenry
County Board warns of water demand exceeding supply in Algonquin and
Grafton Townships by 2030, with potential for the same in Burton, Dorr
and Nunda Townships.
“Some parts of the county [Algonquin and
Grafton Townships] could face shortages as early as 2020. That’s
next decade,” -Cassandra McKinney, county Water Resources Manager, said
in a
Northwest Herald article.
“Conservation is the key. The message for
the general public is that it definitely is not too early to begin
thinking about conserving water, and that applies equally to businesses
and municipalities.” -Tom Garritano, CMAP
Encourage your school system and local government
to help develop and promote a water conservation ethic among children
and adults. Also, you can make suggestions to your employer to save
water (and dollars) at work.
Click here for an interesting graphical depiction on ways to reduce
your water footprint.
There are many ways to save water, and they all start with you. Try
to do one thing each day to save water. Don't worry if the savings are
minimal. Every drop counts. And every person can make a difference!
Below are the Water Conservation Tips, published
weekly in 2009 by the Northwest Herald, and supplied by our Water
Resources Protection Committee:
It takes about 70 gallons of water to produce one gallon of gas. To
help conserve water, carpool or use public transit and walk or bike
whenever possible. (Who knew that saving gas would save water?!?)
When you're traveling and staying in a motel
multiple nights, let the staff know that you would like to reuse
your towels and sheets. This will reduce the amount of water used
by the motel for laundry by hundreds of gallons per week.
In a restaurant, turn the empty water glass upside down if you don't
want water. Not only will you save the water you don't drink, you'll
also save the water used to wash the glass. Collectively this can save
million of gallons of water per year.
Covering your swimming pool will significantly help to reduce
evaporation. An average-sized pool can lose about 1,000 gallons of water
per month if left uncovered. Pool covers can cut water losses by up to
90% while keeping water cleaner. Periodically check for leaks. Use a
grease pencil to mark the water level at the skimmer. Check the mark 24
hours later. Your pool should lose no more than 1/4 inch each day.
Don't buy recreational toys for your kids that require a constant
flow of water. As a treat for them to cool off, a sprinkler could be
used in an area where your lawn needs water the most, so it will be
absorbed and not run off.
Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and
save 4 gallons a minute. That's 200 gallons of water a week saved
for a family of four! Turning off the water while you lather your
hands when washing them will save additional gallons.
Teach your children to turn the faucets off tightly after
each use. And if a faucet is leaking, grab a wrench and fix it. It's
simple, inexpensive, and can save 140 gallons of water a week.
If your toilet was installed prior to 1980, place
a jug filled with water in your toilet tank to cut down on
the amount of water used for each flush. Be sure the jug does not
interfere with operating parts. You can save upwards of 5 gallons of
water a day.
Check for leaks by putting a few drops of food
coloring in your toilet tank. If the color seeps into the toilet bowl,
you have a leak. It's easy to fix, and you can save more than 600
gallons a month.
When you clean your fish tank, use the water you've drained on your
plants. (Not a good idea if yours is a salt water tank, though!) The water is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, providing you
with free and effective fertilizer. Done repeatedly over time, this
small step can result in big water savings, and happy plants.
Run your washing machine and dishwasher only
when they are full and you could save 1000 gallons of water a
month. If you have to wash a smaller quantity of clothes, always
match the water level to the size of the load.
Install a water softener only when necessary and program it to save
water and salt by running the minimum amount of regenerations
necessary to maintain water softness. And remember to turn the
softener off when you're on vacation.When you have
to replace your washing machine or dishwasher, choose models that
have water saving features. As much as 20 gallons of water per load
of clothes and 4 gallons/load of dishes can be saved with these new
appliances.
It takes almost 2,000 gallons of
water to produce a pair of jeans and 400 gallons to make a new
shirt. So take care of your clothes and think carefully before
buying new ones to help conserve water.
If your shower can fill a one-gallon bucket in
less than 20 seconds, then replace it with a low-flow showerhead.
They're inexpensive, easy to install, and can save your family more
than 500 gallons of water a week.
Keep that bucket in the shower to catch water as you
run it to let it warm up. Use this water to flush your toilet or
water plants. This can save another 200 to 300 gallons a month.
Bottled water can be 1,000 times more
expensive than tap water and requires additional water to package
and transport. So drink tap water instead of bottled and reduce the
drain on regional aquifers from bottled water companies. Purchase
and reuse your own water bottle.
Keep a pitcher of water to refill in the
refrigerator instead of running the faucet for cold drinks, so that
every drop goes down you instead of down the drain. This could save
200-300 gallons of water a month.
Install an instant water heater on your
kitchen sink so you don't have to let the water run while it
heats up. This will not only save a lot of water, but will also
reduce hot water costs for your household.
Using a nozzle on your hose and turning off the water while you wash
your car can save more than 100 gallons of water each time. Plus if
you park your car on the lawn to wash it, you can water your grass
at the same time! Check for water
leaks in outdoor pipes, hoses, faucets, and couplings. These leaks
can be just as wasteful as leaks indoors. Use hose washers at
spigots and hose connections to eliminate leaks and check frequently
to keep them drip-free.
If you are
installing or replacing a walkway, patio, or driveway on your
property, using porous materials will help prevent wasteful runoff.
When washing fruits and vegetables, use a pan
partially filled with water instead of running water from the tap.
Then reuse the rinse water to water your potted plants. This could
save 150-200 gallons of water a month!
Defrost food without running water over the
packages. Either plan ahead by placing frozen items in the
refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave. This
step can save 50 to 150 gallons of water per month.
Select the proper size pans for cooking, so that you
can cook your food in as little water as possible. This not
only saves water, but also retains more of the nutrients.
When washing dishes by hand use the least amount of detergent possible to
minimize rinse water needed. And don't let the water run while rinsing. Instead
use short bursts of water or fill one sink with rinse water. This can save 750
to 1,500 gallons per month.
When you plan for planting flowers,
shrubs, and groundcovers, choose native species adapted to
lower water needs. You could save upwards of 500 gallons a year by not
needing to water them after they become established.
 Place
2" to 4" of organic material such as compost or bark mulch around plants
to reduce evaporation and save hundreds of gallons of water a year. This
will not only save water, but will discourage the growth of weeds.
Start a compost pile to save water in two
ways. By composting peelings from fruits and vegetables you can
cut down on water usage in your garbage disposal. Plus using
compost when you plant adds water-holding organic matter to the
soil.Consider
establishing a rain garden
on your property. Channel stormwater from your roof across your
lawn and into a bed of high water-use plantings in a low lying
area. This will retain the water on your property and create
beauty around your home, school, or office. Place
rain barrels or buckets beneath your downspouts. For every inch of rain,
1,000 sq. ft. of roof surface will collect 420 gallons of water, which
can then be used for watering plants or washing your car rather than
being channeled into the storm sewer.
Plant shrubs or place attractive fencing around your vegetable garden
to shelter the plants from wind and evaporative moisture loss and to
prevent the soil from drying out as quickly, thus reducing the need for
watering.
As you clean up your yard, leave lower
branches on trees and shrubs and allow leaf litter to accumulate on top
of the soil around them as well as in your flower beds. This will keep
the soil cooler and lessen evaporation, thus reducing the need for
watering.
Sweep dirt, grass clippings, and leaves off
of driveways and sidewalks instead of using water from a hose.
You can save up to 150 gallons of water each time. Plus, you'll
help keep your nearby stream cleaner by not adding dirt and
other wastes to the storm sewer, which empties directly into the
nearest stream without any treatment.
Landscape irrigation accounts for
almost half of residential water use. Plan to decrease that amount
by watering your plants efficiently through the use of drip
irrigation or soaker hoses. Make sure that drought tolerant plants
get no more water than they need. You'll not only save water but
money as well!
Water
without waste. Stop watering whenever runoff occurs, especially on
slopes or on compacted soils. Allow moisture to penetrate the soil
before restarting. Also, position sprinklers so that you're not
wasting water on sidewalks and other impervious surfaces. Along
paved areas you can water more efficiently by using watering cans.
A single lawn
sprinkler spraying five gallons per minute uses 50% more water
in just one hour than a combination of ten toilet flushes, two
5-minute showers, two dishwasher loads, and a full load of
clothes! Lots of water can be saved by watering your lawn
only when it needs it instead of on a fixed schedule.
If your lawn has received an inch of rain
during a week's time, it does not need additional watering. Adjust or deactivate
automatic sprinklers
during rainy periods. Such action
could save from 200 to 300 gallons of water each time.
A
good way to see if your lawn does need watering is to step on the
grass. If it springs back up when you step on it, it doesn't need
water. If it stays flat, it is ready for watering.
When you do water your lawn, do it
long enough for the moisture to soak down to the roots where it will
do the most good. A light sprinkling can evaporate quickly and
tends to encourage shallow root growth, which requires watering more
frequently. Put an empty tuna can on your lawn. When it's full,
you've watered enough.
Also, plan to water when it's not windy, as wind will speed
evaporation.
To save water and have a greener
lawn, adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. Longer grass
shades root systems and holds soil moisture better than a closely
clipped lawn.
To save water as we head into a drier time of the year,
prioritize your watering needs. Most lawns will simply go dormant if
not watered, and the grass will recover when rainfall returns.
Because a 5,000 sq. foot lawn needs up to 6,000 gallons of water per
week to stay green, it is wiser to let lawns sleep through a dry
period than to waste water, money, and effort.
When the temperatures drop, winterize
outdoor spigots to prevent pipes from bursting or freezing. Inside,
insulate your water heater and hot water pipes so you don't have to run
as much water to get hot water to the faucet. You'll save on your
energy bill as well.
Have a water conservation tip
you'd like to share? Email us at mcdef@owc.net
|
Environmental
Defenders of McHenry County 
