Nationwide Drought
The last week of August brought with it a fair amount of rain but not enough to bring us out of the Summer's drought. The lack of rainfall has been a hot topic coast to coast . Virginia has had a rainfall deficit of at least 9 inches and California's rain has been 30% below normal. Fountains in NY City are dry and Silt, Colorado residents caught watering their lawns could face 90 days jail time. As a result of the drought conditions water restrictions have been put in place north, south, east, west, and central across the United States. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor ( http://drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html), most of Virginia is experiencing Extreme (D3) to Exceptional (D4) drought conditions.
There is so much that everyone can do to conserve water.
- Turn off the tap
- You can save at least 1000 gallons a year by turning the faucet off while brushing your teeth or shaving
- An "open faucet" will waste 7 gallons per minute
- Fix leaks
- 13% of all home water usage is due to leaks
- 1 dripping faucet can waste 2700 gallons per year
- Buy water-saving appliances with an Energy Star label
- An energy star washing machine can save up to 7000 gallons per year
- Low-flow toilets use 3 gallons less per flush
- Install a low-flow shower head
- Catch the rain
- Run your gutter spout into a rain barrel (use this to water your lawn/garden)
- Cover your pool
- 1000 gallons from an average-sized pool can be lost to evaporation per month
- Rethink your landscape
- Cultivate plants with succulent or leathery leaves
- Plant drought-tolerant groundcovers such as wormwood or creeping juniper
- Mulch more to reduce evaporation
THINK ABOUT IT!
| "... learn to love water. If you find it hard to break wasteful habits formed when water seemed cheap and plentiful,
remember that what's heading down the drain is the same stuff you pay a buck a bottle for at the supermarket."
— Warren Schultz
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An example of a rain barrel For more information on rain barrels or to learn how to make your own go to: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/PI/rainbarrels.htm |