League of Women Voters encourage water conservation
Think globally; act locally.The United Nations predicts that two-thirds of the world's population is projected to face water scarcity by 2025. While water shortage is not a concern to us here in Lexington, and may not be even in the future, all of the products we consume have a "water footprint." For example, it takes roughly 20 gallons of water to make a pint of beer, as much as 132 gallons of water to make a 2-liter bottle of soda, and about 500 gallons, including water used to grow, dye, and process the cotton, to make a pair of Levi's stonewashed jeans. A cup of coffee takes roughly 35 gallons. A cotton T-shirt typically takes some 700 gallons of water to produce. A typical hamburger takes 630 gallons of water to produce, more than three times the amount the average American uses every day for drinking, bathing, washing dishes and flushing toilets. The bulk is used to grow grain for cattle feed.
Source:
Since most of these consumer products are grown and produced in other parts of the country or the world, it is those areas that are threatened by a water shortage. We can help by using fewer of those products, by consuming less and by recycling products: buying used clothing and household goods, and by donating our used goods.
Locally, we can maintain our own aquifers by using actual water more responsibly. Many suggestions for local and global conservation are offered in this chart:
WATER SAVING MEASURES
EASY / MORE DIFFICULT / CHALLENGINGDo not buy or use bottled water. It takes 3 gallons of water to produce one gallon of bottled water. / Purchase and use aluminum or stainless steel reusable water bottles. / Install a water filter on your faucet or under your kitchen sink.
Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning. / Flush the toilet only when necessary / Install a bathroom grey water tank under the sink to use when flushing the toilet.
Limit your shower time. Taking a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons of water, while a full tub requires about 70 gallons. / Install a water-efficient showerhead. Install a cutoff valve, or turn the water off while washing and back on again only to rinse. / Shower only when necessary. Frequent showering removes essential oils from skin and results in dry skin.
Scrape the dishes clean instead of rinsing them before washing. Dishwashers remove the remainder. / Run your dishwasher on “light wash.” Most of the time this will be sufficient. / Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Start a compost pile with non-dairy and non-meat garbage.
Use a bucket in the tub while waiting for the water to run hot. Use the collected water to flush the toilet. / Insulate all hot water pipes to reduce the delays and water wasted while waiting for the water to run hot. / Install an on-demand water heater.
Flush toilet with greywater from the shower (Stopper the tub during shower). / Replace your old toilet with a dual flush model. / Install a composting toilet.
Eat less meat, especially beef. It takes approx. 1860 gallons water to produce one pound of boneless beef. / Eat no meat. / Eat a vegan (plant food only, no animal) diet only.
Use soaker hoses for watering gardens.
Dig a trench to create a swale for driveway runoff. Otherwise, t runs into a storm drain and eventually into the ocean. / Install water barrels to catch roof
runoff for watering gardens.
Plant a rain garden in the swale. / Install a cistern in your yard for
garden and lawn watering.
When repairing or replacing a driveway, use permeable material
What can YOU suggest?
EASY / MORE DIFFICULT / CHALLENGINGSend your suggestions to