Bye Bye H2O?

A growing concern for the American people has become the national issue regarding our fresh water supply. The Earth’s surface is made up of about 71% water, but 97% of the Earth’s water comes from the oceans and seas; therefore, the [salt] water is undrinkable. That means that only about 2% of the Earth’s water is fresh water and valuable to humans. That’s not really a good amount in supply when among the United States alone, the average American consumes about 100 gallons of freshwater a day, and the nation as a whole uses about 26 billion gallons of fresh water a day. Because water is the most valuable resource to human beings and availability directly impacts our lives, Americans need to take some sort of stand to try and help conserve this dwindling resource.

Because fresh water is becoming less accessible, it has become a national issue. A lot of the knowledge gained about this important situation is often times self induced, but because we as a nation are becoming more and more worried about our water supply, the national government (including presidential candidates) has incorporated the water issue into their national plans. Senator Obama seems more intuitive about the crisis than Senator McCain and seems much more prepared to help attack the problem. Senator Obama is a supporter of having more regulations pertaining to the nation’s water use, especially with the appliances that we use. In conjunction, he also believes that everyone should use water more efficiently to avoid waste and is a believer in continual research and testing to develop more technologies that are water savvy. Some of the other tactics that Senator Obama is supporting are: the switch from irrigated lawns to `water smart’ landscaping, training and economic assistance for farmer and businesses to shift to more highly used water efficient systems, desalination, and the Great Lakes Basin Contract.

Even though it is important to have a national leader impelled to help during an environmental crisis, the personal ability to conserve water never has to be sacrificed. There is a tremendous amount of ways to decrease water consumption around the house in order to satisfy an individual’s effort to help during the water crisis. There are one hundred tips that direct towards good water saving ideas, and they are good to use whether fresh water is scarce (like it is now) or not.

One of the best decisions a person could make within their homes these days is by installing low-flush toilets. The toilet is the single most water used appliance in the house and uses about 38% of fresh water each day. By switching to a low-flow toilet, a household is able to cut down on water wasted by 25%. That is a difference of about 5 gallons a flush to less than 2 gallons. Another system that has been proven effective for fresh water conservation in the bathroom is the new AQUS system. This purpose behind the system is to avoid using fresh water in unnecessary ways. The system works by having a system between the bathroom sink and the toilet. Instead of using freshwater in the toilet, the water used in the sink gets collected and treated in a tank where it is filtered and disinfected and then is moved to the toilet’s tank to be used a second time before becoming waste. This water system has also been effective in water saving, in addition to being low maintenance and low cost.

Other areas that can cause a large difference in the consumption of water in the home are washing machines, dish washers, and low-cost water saving devices. Congress actually approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 which includes national incentives to use and develop high efficiency clothes washers and dish washers among the next few years in order to lead the way to creating more efficient water appliances. This Act can allow the United States to take one big footstep in the right direction because that means that all clothes and dish washers that come on the market need to be water efficient. The US will go from using clothes washers that use 40-55 gallons of fresh water a load, to washers that use 22-25 gallons. That is a saving of 30-50% of water and saves 5,000 gallons of water each year. Also, by running the clothes washer or dish washer when only having full loads will save a large amount of water a year as well.

Not only can consumers buy products with the WaterSense label that ensures them that the appliance is water efficient, but they can also buy water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators to help diminish was consumption as well. Again, there is a huge difference in the amount of water used. Using your shower time effectively is important as well. The majority of the time, the appliances, products, and smart living decisions do not require a lifestyle change, no big investments are needed because money will actually be saved, and in the end each home is able to save water.

Some other ways to help conserve water is by checking for leaks and being tactical when irrigating plants outside. For over 30 years, the American Leak Detection has over 4.5 million leaks (still counting) and by finding and fixing those leaks, they have saved over 1.5 trillion gallons of water. A leaky faucet can waste up to 100 gallons of water a day, so performing regular checks are very important. In addition, 40% of the water used in the summer months is used outside. It is unnecessary to waste water to irrigate outside, when we have rain water that we can use instead. A simple and smart way to save water, especially for outside needs, is to collect rain water from gutters to use for gardening and landscaping. Also, plant and water plants in similar groups that have similar water needs to cut back on water usage and to also make it easier to collect and reuse run off irrigation water. By testing soil and the atmospheric measurements, a person is able to schedule irrigation in a more efficient way and actually improve their agricultural results.

As you can see, there are many ways to aid in conservation of water. By doing the little things within the home and influencing others to live water efficient lives, more water will be saved and be available for drinking. Remember to dispose of toxic materials properly as well because 1 gallon of oil can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water. Also, remember that every bit helps and although it may not seem like a lot personally, the environment loves every little bit.