For instance...imagine a household - a lifestyle - that operated with water's preciousness in mind.
- What if appliances did their part in water conservation?
- What if rooftops harvested rain?
- If every load of laundry also watered our fruit trees and flowers?
It's all possible and it's all practical.
1. Grow your own fruits and veggies or buy seasonal, organic food from your local farmer's market. GALLONS SAVED: 150 daily
Aside from the water saved in reduced transportation and storage, locally grown, seasonal foods require fewer pesticides and synthetic fertilizers that can pollute our water supply and beef up the Juggernaut. When you buy organic or grow your own edibles, you can avoid pesticides entirely. With potted herbs and raised veggie boxes at home, you can save up to 150 gallons every day.
2. Purchase - and use - a reusable water bottle. To-go ware, too! GALLONS SAVED: 6 daily
It takes a lot of water to make a plastic water bottle. For every bottle you drink, the Juggernaut slurps up to seven times the amount of water inside that bottle. And, after you’ve quenched the monster’s thirst, that bottle goes on to join the billion others that end up in California’s landfills or ocean every year. Use a reusable bottle. You’ll eliminate plastic waste and deprive the Juggernaut of up to 6 gallons a day.
3. Turn off unnecessary lighting and replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs or LEDs. GALLONS SAVED: 5 daily
The average American uses nearly 12 kWh of electricity each day at a water cost of 2 gallons per kWh. Let’s talk lightbulbs. Over the duration of one year, one incandescent bulb can consume 3,000 to 6,300 gallons of water. That makes for one happy Juggernaut. A switch to more energy-efficient lighting, say CFLs and LEDs, can save 5 gallons daily.
4. Thirsty toilet; Fill a used bottle with sand, screw the cap back on and place it in the tank to displace some of the water. GALLONS SAVED: 2 daily
Even if you can’t adopt the motto “if it’s yellow, it’s mellow”, you certainly can put a used bottle filled with sand in your toilet’s tank for an easy “retrofit” that will save 1/4 gallon per flush and eliminate 2 gallons from the Juggernaut’s daily diet.
5. Install a drip irrigation system, plant natives and apply mulch. GALLONS SAVED: 50 daily
The average Southern California lawn needs 750 gallons of water each week to stay healthy - more than double what’s necessary to keep a native landscape thriving. By swapping the lawn for a drought-tolerant garden, you’ll cut your water use by 350 gallons each week, reduce runoff and eliminate the need for pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Down with the Juggernaut!
6. Laundry; Only wash full loads and consider retrofitting your clothes washer to irrigate your lawn. GALLONS SAVED: 40 gallons/wash
Not only does a load of laundry consume up to 40 gallons, the use of commercial laundry detergents can pollute our water bodies. To keep the Juggernaut thirsty, use biodegradable, phosphate-free detergents, upgrade to a water and energy-efficient machine and consider a greywater retrofit. It’s easy; connect your washer’s drain hose to a drip-irrigation line. Kits are available at The Ecology Center!
7. Turn the faucet off while brushing. GALLONS SAVED: 8 daily
If you aren’t actually using water, turn off the tap! You can save up to 8 gallons each day simply by turning off the tap while you brush your teeth and while you shave. For even more savings - and to chip away at that Juggernaut - install a 1 gallon per minute aerator for an added 36 gallons per day savings.
8. Products/technology; Take care of the things you have so they last longer. GALLONS SAVED: 100’s daily
Water is a critical resource in the supply chain of nearly every product in our lives. That means, every time you make a purchase, the Juggernaut gets fed. Choose your purchases wisely. Good design is about functionality and practicality, not trends. If you can remember to buy products that are durable, locally-made, and recyclable, you can save yourself a lot of money and 275 gallons of water daily.
9. Swap a meat-based meal (or two) for a veggie-based meal each week. GALLONS SAVED: 2,000 weekly
One steak can give the Juggernaut a growth spurt of about 1,200 gallons. Raising an animal requires a lot more water than an apple or carrot. Not only must the animals drink water, water must be used to grow their feed and process their meat. Take a step down on the food chain and save. How about swapping a hamburger for a veggie burger? Great! You just saved 280 gallons of water.
10. Wash your car at a commercial car wash. GALLONS SAVED: 50/wash
Washing your car at home uses more water than a commercial wash and results in the direct drainage of metals, chemicals and hydrocarbons into our oceans. A commercial wash uses less than 50% of the water consumed during the average at-home wash and is required to pre-treat wastewater before sending it on to a municipal facility. Don’t wash your car at home and you’ll weaken the Juggernaut by 10 gallons per day.
Across the globe, there are millions of Juggernauts to contend with. But if we each take on our own personal Juggernaut, we can win this war on water scarcity.
The Ecology Center’s Splash! How Good Water Works Exhibition open weekends from 11am-5pm
The Ecology Center Programs