With weather events becoming more extreme and lasting longer, we need to start thinking seriously about water conservation. I try to imagine what it is like in places where you have to walk miles for some water, jockeying for position among people, cattle, insects, and other wildlife. It is hard for me to even fathom this life when we live in a world where water is so easy to come by. If you think about it, the idea of using gallons of water for a lawn, to take a shower, or to flush a toilet seems gluttonous when compared to water-limited regions. I imagine how many miles-long trips in blazing heat I would have to take to flush the toilet; it is humbling. So, I try to be hyper-conscious of using water and limit its use the best that I can and it is hard. I think that I have done a great job of lowering our water use, and then I get the water bill with very little sign of my effort. So, I take a deep breath, imagine having to carry all the water I use, and try again.
What can we do to limit our water use? It isn’t easy; it requires change, which none of us embrace. But, number one on the list is just don’t let water run. What, who does this? It is just something that many of us do without thinking and it is a hard habit to break. We let water run when brushing teeth, washing hands, washing fruits and vegetables, rinsing or washing dishes, cleaning sinks and tubs, letting tap water cool down or warm up, etc. I have come up with ways of reminding myself and my family to not let faucets run and if you do, catch that water to use for other things. I use little notes or beautiful hand painted signs, ask members of the family to remind each other if they see or hear water running, and use cups or bowls to replace the reason for letting water run. This last one has been most helpful for my family. We use cups to fill up water to use for brushing teeth. Fill the cup and use your water to drip water on your toothbrush, rinse your mouth, and clean your brush. We use a bowl to wash vegetables and fruits when they come home from the store and we use a large pot to hold water for rinsing/washing dishes. Wash the dishes outside of the pot and only put the sponge in the water, that keeps the water clean. Then clean the pot and empty the soapy water. Fill the pot with clean water for rinsing. I put the clean dishes in the pot, put the water on a low stream and rinse most of the dishes as the water fills the pot. Then, when I am finished, I take this grey water and water some plants. If you have a dish washer, you don’t need to do any of this. Modern dishwashers don’t require pre-washing, you just need to clean out the screen, but I know lots of people rinse their dishes first anyway. If you prewash for the dishwasher, just follow the same water saving procedures.
A big water saver is to take shorter showers. This is really hard! My dad was a Navy man and taught us to take military showers, if you have never done this, it is an experience. You get wet, turn off the water and soap up everywhere, then turn on the water to rinse off. Done. No lavish lounging in the shower and enjoying the shower massage. I stopped doing this once I left home, but I soon realized the logic of this shower. It really is the best way to shower and save water, but it can be really hard in the winter. Sometimes I just let the shower run, but I have a hard 5 minute max limit. This means that I usually wash my hair in the sink. For longer hair, I have found that method to use the least water. My kids have competitions to see who uses the least water and they choose military showers most of the time. Sometimes they go crazy and take a 5 minute luxury shower. And I know, it sounds like something you could never do, but imagine carrying all of the water you need for a shower from the local water source to your house, and it will inspire you to realize that even a military shower is a luxury. Save the luxury showers for just that, a once in a while luxurious event.
Another big water saver is for the lucky pool owners. Make sure to have a pool cover. It helps to keep your pool safe for kids and animals, keeps it clean by keeping out leaves and insects, and helps conserve water by preventing evaporation.
And finally, the big one, our beloved grass lawns. Large, non-native lawns suck up a lot of water. But it is really hard to imagine any other type of plant for a yard. I have found inspiration in wild English-style gardens, but using our native plants. It is easiest to just start with a small piece of grass and turn it into a garden filled with natives. Native grasses and flowers don’t need tons of fertilizer or space (they will fill in and help prevent weeds) and make watering (after the plants are established) almost needless. Once you have one garden that you love, add another and throw in some vegetables and herbs here and there to make your yard work for you. Fresh flowers, herbs, and vegetables at your finger tips–what more could you want. Save a little space of grass if that is what works for you and you can play on that section. This will limit your watering to that one small space! It isn’t an easy transition, but most people find that they are much happier sharing their yard with native flowers, butterflies, fireflies, toads, frogs, and, if you are really lucky a turtle or two. This is probably the hardest of all water saving methods. This isn’t just changing our habits, but also changing the minds and judgements of other people and standing firm when others don’t understand what you are doing. Keep strong and let’s create a new image of what a yard is.
We all need to work toward saving water and not taking it for granted. Clean, fresh water is not a finite resource, not even in North America, so we all need to work together to save where we can.