Your Quick and Easy Guide to Water Conservation
Let’s see how much you remember from 8th grade environmental science, shall we?
Q: How much of the Earth is covered in water?
A: 71% of our planet’s surface is water.
Q: How much of that water is actually drinkable?
A: Only 1.2%!
Stay tuned to find out how you can get a free Public Goods water bottle!
We often forget that fresh, clean water is a limited and costly resource.
And we use a lot of it! In fact, our global water consumption has tripled in the last 50 years. The average American uses 80-100 gallons of the stuff every day. That’s the equivalent of 600+ bottles of water, friends.
Since we all need water to survive, it’s up to all of us to conserve it! We’ll get to the how of that in sec, but first let’s cover why. Intentionally conserving water:
Reduces energy required to treat, supply, and heat water in our homes.
Saves money on monthly bills and regular appliance maintenance costs.
Prevents water pollution from overworked septic systems.
Protects our food sources.
Minimizes the effects of droughts and other natural disasters.
Maintains Earth’s atmosphere by leaving water for oxygen-producing plants.
Cares for our ecosystem and wildlife, which also depend heavily on water.
Reserves clean water for those who don’t have regular access to it. (Here’s your not-so-friendly reminder that Flint, Michigan still doesn’t have clean water.)
Like most sustainability efforts, water conservation can feel really overwhelming at first. We’ve got you!
14 Simple Ways We Can All Conserve Water
#1 Start small.
Every little bit of water conservation helps. So turn off the faucet while you brush your teeth or shave. Shorten your showers by a couple minutes or opt for baths. (Yep, baths use less water!) Wash your veggies in a sink full of water, rather than under running water. Small changes can have a big impact, especially when we work together!
#2 Repair leaks fast.
Drippy faucets aren’t just annoying, they’re an environmental no-no. The average household passively wastes 10-15 gallons through indoor leaks. One of the main culprits? Your toilet! Toilet leaks are easy to miss because your tank and bowl are always full of water. Here’s how to check if your toilet needs some TLC:
Remove the toilet tank cover and add about 10 drops of food coloring to the tank.
Wait 15 minutes.
Check for color in the toilet bowl.
If you see any color, your toilet is leaking water from the tank into the bowl. Call a plumber or get your DIY on.
#3 Carpool!
It turns out nearly everything about our day-to-day impacts water consumption in some way. Travel is no exception. Gasoline takes a lot of water to produce, so combining errands, carpooling, or taking public transportation can help to conserve water.
#4 Plan dinner a couple days in advance.
6 PM rolls around and suddenly you think, “#@$*! I forgot to defrost the chicken!” Then you rush to take the package out of the freezer and pop it under a running faucet. To conserve water, try planning a day or two ahead and allowing time to defrost your dinner in the fridge.
#5 Double check your laundry’s water level.
Anywhere from 15-40% of your annual water consumption comes from doing laundry. By adjusting the water-level settings to the proper load size, or by only running a cycle when you have a completely full load, you’ll get your clothes clean without using as much water. Get more laundry-related sustainability tips here.
#6 Check your diet.
According to National Geographic, a McDonald’s quarter pounder uses more water than 30 average American showers. Yikes. Try incorporating Meatless Monday into your weekly routine. Opt for dairy-free every now and then, too! (And even though a single cup of coffee requires about 55 gallons of water to make, we won’t ask you to give up the joe. Yet. One step at a time, right?)
#7 Give that fiddle leaf fig a drink.
Rather than dumping your half-drunk cups or bottles of water down the drain, let your plants have ‘em.
#8 Speaking of plants...
If you water your lawn or garden in times of peak sun, all that water quickly evaporates and leaves nothing for the plants. Watering in the early morning or late evening makes the moisture last longer, meaning you won’t have to water as much or as often.
#9 Oh, and about those sprinklers...
Running through the sprinkler on hot summer afternoons is basically a right of childhood. Unfortunately, it wastes so.much.water. We’re not saying we should deprive our kiddos the experience, but maybe let’s take an every-once-in-awhile approach, instead of running for the hose to squelch every “I’m boooooorrrrrred.”
#10 Cover the pool.
The average pool needs 22,000 gallons of water to fill, and if you don’t use a cover, hundreds of gallons of water are wasted to evaporation. So cover up!
#11 Wash smart.
Using a dishwasher, especially when running full loads, is more water efficient than hand washing. Or, if you wash by hand, turn the sink off between scrubbing and rinsing. You can also use less suds to decrease the amount of rinsing necessary.
#12 Also: Buy smart.
If you’re looking to replace your washer and dryer, opt for a front-loading model. Want to replace your showerhead? Find one that’s low-flow, which can save up to 15 gallons of water per 10-minute shower! Remodeling the bathroom might also call for a new low-flow toilet. Shopping with water conservation in mind stretches your savings and helps the planet!
#13 Be mindful of your garbage disposal use.
Ever thought about how much water goes down the drain every time you flip the switch on your disposal? About eight gallons a day. Composting is a far more environmentally friendly way to deal with your fruit and veggie scraps. Learn how to compost (and get a free counter-top bin) over here.
#14 Get a reusable water bottle.
When we want a cool glass of water, we often turn on the faucet and wait for the water to get cold. Instead, pre-fill a pitcher and keep it in the fridge. You can also get a reusable water bottle that keeps your drink cool for hours, even on the go.
BTW, a plastic water bottle requires more water to manufacture than it actually holds. That’s just one more reason to ditch plastic.
Have a bottle on us!
Around Dwell Denver, we’re on our own journey toward taking better care of our planet and the people who live on it. We certainly don’t have it all figured out, but here’s what we know for sure: We know we can do more good when we do it together.
Wanna join the fun? We’d love to send you one of these sleek Public Goods water bottles! Just tell us what color—black, white, or silver—and where to send it, and poof! It’s yours!
Want to chat more? Book a Discovery Meeting and let us know what’s on your mind.