After a water post yesterday, I figured that I’d do another one, which can be related back to a more personal, conservation style level, as opposed to building advice with a dash of planning, as my previous post was.
As previously mentioned, resources in the western US are scarce, and water certainly tops the list. Due to the fact that water is sold on the cheap and typically not charged in a ‘ladder’ or other pricing scheme, many don’t think about how much they use.
Note: A ladder or similar pricing scheme is one where users pay more per gallon of water the more water they use. For example, you may pay 5 cents a gallon for the first 1,000 gallons, but after that, you will pay 8 cents a gallon.
Saving water is an easy way to be environmentally friendly, and typically takes only a bit of extra time (an occasionally a higher up-front cost) to do so. Here are some tips to save water in your everyday life
On the Lawn
- Keep the Mower blades sharp – This may sound odd, but grasses that are cut by dull blades are often torn as opposed to cut, and the frayed edges require more water to stay healthy and green.
- Monitor the rain – If you have an automatic sprinkler system, turn it off if it has rained that day. Sensors that do this automatically are also available for purchase.
- Water early in the morning or at night – This may sound like common sense, but I get angry when I see people watering mid-day. So much evaporation
Throughout the House
- Purchase Water (and energy) saving appliances – Once again, sounds simple, but many dont do it. Typically this is due to the higher initial cost. Next time when shopping for an appliance, do some calculations on how much money you can save per year if you save X gallons of water.
- Turn off water when brushing teeth/washing hands - Yes, a bit cumbersome, but well worth it. After a while, it just becomes habit.
- Start a compost pile – kitchen garbage disposals use a great deal of water. Ill put up a post on compost sometime soon.
Enjoy the weekend, and thanks for reading!
