No matter where we live – the city, suburbs, or a house in the country – we all depend on water for life. From the water we drink and the food we eat to our livelihoods and recreation, water impacts nearly every area of our lives.
While a large part of the Earth is covered by water, it may come as a surprise that only 0.3% is readily available for human use. Water is a finite resource often at risk of overuse and contamination. Natural disasters, such as drought, also impact available water supplies needed to sustain daily life.
Kirk Welch, North Plains Groundwater Conservation District assistant general manager, said we all must do our part to conserve water.
“If we are intentional about looking at the amount of water that we use daily, we can identify target areas. Then we can take action without necessarily spending a lot of money to do that,” Welch said.
We all need water, and because water grows our food, economy and future – we must make it last! Check out these eight ways we can all conserve water at home.
1. Efficient Irrigation Systems
During the warm months, homeowners may use between 30-70% of their water outdoors depending on where they live. Much like the efficient irrigation systems farmers use to grow our food, homeowners can install efficient irrigation systems for their lawn, flower beds and gardens explained Michael Caldwell, Natural Resource Conservation Service in Texas resource team leader. Drip irrigation, high-efficiency sprinkler heads and other efficient water systems apply water where it is needed in precise amounts, which helps reduce waste.
“I think the efficiency ties back to our water bill and also general water use in trying to conserve what we’re using, whether it be from a municipal water supply, or even if it’s a municipal water supply coming from a well,” Caldwell said.
2. Time of day
Something as simple as timing when watering your lawn can make a big impact.
“I think that any small contribution to efficiency or conservation makes a difference in the long run,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell said watering your lawn early in the morning or late in the evening helps avoid heat that can cause water loss due to evaporation. He said water timers are a big help to ensure watering happens during these ideal time windows.
3. Soil Health
Farmers take soil health seriously on their farms because when soil is healthy, it allows more water from rainfall and irrigation to infiltrate through the soil and retain additional moisture for plants. But soil health isn’t something farmers should only care about – we all should. Caldwell said soil health is something homeowners can strive to achieve on their property by properly applying organic fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to lawns, flower beds and gardens.
He said improved soil health not only helps plants flourish, leading to a more appealing lawn and garden, but also helps filter water from potential contaminants. Since we all live in a watershed, an area of land that drains into nearby bodies of water, it is imperative we take care of the land to prevent contamination of our water supplies.
“All that water goes somewhere. If it’s taking bad stuff with it, it’s going to end up somewhere where it’s not beneficial,” Caldwell said.
While water conservation outdoors is incredibly important, it’s no surprise that a majority of the water we use at home throughout the year is indoors, typically accounting for 70% of at-home water use. Welch said it’s important that we have efficient plumbing.
“If you have outdated or old plumbing, then it’s certainly worth looking into how to update that and adapt your old plumbing systems to be more efficient as far as using water,” Welch said.
One area of the home Welch said is worth focusing on is the bathroom because much of the water there is used in excess. He said installing low flow equipment, such as low flow shower heads and toilets, can make a big difference – they can help save water, energy and money for homeowners.
“Low flow shower heads are relatively easy to acquire and install. So that’s a good way to be able to cut consumption in the shower in half generally,” Welch said.
Another common area for overuse of water in the home is the laundry room. Welch said using efficient washers combined with doing full loads of laundry can help reduce water use.
“Using your adjustable water level settings that most of our modern washing machines have available, allows you to use only what’s necessary for the amount of clothing that you’re washing,” Welch said.
7. Food Waste
Approximately 30-40% of food is wasted every year in the U.S. This has huge repercussions on society as it ultimately wastes the water, energy and other resources used to grow our food and transport it to the grocery store.
“The amount of water that can be wasted when that pizza box goes into the trash with still half a pizza left in it ,” Welch said.
Reducing food waste can be as simple as preparing a grocery list ahead of shopping, enjoying leftovers or using scraps for compost in your garden. Learn more about food waste from the USDA.
8. Educating Youth
The young minds of today are the future of tomorrow, and one of the most important actions we can take is teaching them about water and the vital role it plays in society. Welch said our youth are our future water stewards and will ultimately make decisions about how water is used in the future.
“I don’t think you can start too early reinforcing the concept and the value of water,” Welch said.
Many resources are available to share the value of water and its significant role in food production through your local underground water conservation districts, Take Care of Texas and the Texas Corn Producers.
Welch and Caldwell agree – we all need water for life, and it is critical that we are all stewards of this precious resource to ensure its availability for future generations.
“It’s just really the principle of multiplication,” Welch said. “One person might feel like they don’t make that much of a difference. But certainly, that exponential savings when all of us are doing our best and being conscious about how we use water does ultimately account for a huge amount of potential savings.”
