Did you know that the average load of laundry uses 14 gallons of water? The average 4 minute shower uses 25 gallons? And leaving the faucet on when you brush your teeth can waste about 4 gallons of water? We use water for everything! And water use adds up quickly, so it is no wonder that the average American household uses around 300 gallons of water a day.
Droughts in California have infinite consequences for us and our environment - increased wildfire risk followed by increased landslide risk, receding reservoirs and closed recreational waters, reduced crop yields, more expensive produce, and even the death of baby salmon due to extreme temperatures. YES … even baby salmon. So if you like lox on your bagel, we suggest you stock up.
It may feel like there is little we can do to effect change and we don’t want to get all meta about climate change and politics. Let’s stick to water here. There are many ways you can reduce water usage at home. Californians have been asked to voluntarily reduce water use by 15%. Here are some things you can do to help:
Ask your gardener to reduce your outdoor watering or irrigation to 50% and only water during the cooler parts of the day (before 8AM or after sunset)
Instead of washing each dish individually fill your sink with soapy water (this can save up to 60% of the water you usually use)
Only run your washing machine when you have a full load. And use the “quick” cycles for items that aren’t heavily soiled like towels.
Project Preservation suggests that every home have an annual plumbing tune up and inspection to make sure that drains aren’t clogged, toilets aren’t leaking and faucets aren’t dripping. The average leaky toilet wastes up to 200 gallons of water a day. So if you have put this off, let's get something scheduled!
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