Water Conservation: Your Life Depends On It

With major environmental threats to our planet, fresh, clean water is becoming increasingly difficult to access. So many people and creatures rely on this precious, life-sustaining fuel, and we must pay attention…NOW. The increase in global population, pollution, and changing climate all impact this fragile ecosystem. Let's work together to do better.

Oftentimes, we go to restaurants and the first question asked is, "What would you like to drink?"  The typical response might be something along the lines of, "water with lemon, please".  Throughout the meal, the waiter continuously refills our glass with our drink of choice, usually without us even having to ask.  Great service right?  Well, yes and no.  While it's convenient to have your drink constantly refilled, always ready to quench your thirst (and super annoying when you reach for it and find it empty), the fact is, by the time you take care of the check, you've got a full belly and at least half your glass of water is still left! This exact scenario happens for almost every customer, every day, over and over again.  The amount of water wasted is enormous. The trick to avoiding this unnecessary waste, is to be sure to politely decline extra water unless you know you will drink it (especially towards the end of your meals). By making this simple change, each of us can save gallons upon gallons of water over time. Sometimes all it takes is for us to be a little more conscientious and aware of the waste that is generated around us. Before I took it upon myself to start clearly expressing that I would prefer to only get refills when I asked for them, I always ended up forcing myself to drink semi-full cups of water as I was preparing to leave a restaurant. I've got to say, this option is much better.

When it comes to limiting waste while you're out to eat, don't forget to apply the same techniques you used for water, when you're approached with extra rounds of chips and salsa or whatever other refillable snack a restaurant might serve. If you know that you are not going to consume the food, be sure to communicate this ahead of time to your waiter.  In a future post, we will dig a little deeper into how food waste is created and how to reduce it.

Everything counts! Here are a few techniques that will help you save a little green at home (on your water bill) as you go green.

• Use the water from old water bottles or melted ice to feed your house plants or to fill your pet's bowl, instead of pouring it down the drain. If your pets and plants have already had enough water, store it in an empty jug or pitcher for later use.
• When detangling your hair, use a spray bottle and conditioner to loosen your tresses instead of spending an additional 20 minutes in the shower!
• Install an efficient shower head to conserve a bit of water as you bathe.
• Shut off the water while brushing your teeth.  No need to leave it running when you're not using it.
• Take shorter showers.  This can result in HUGE water savings.
• Only run the dishwasher when you have a full load to maximize its water usage.
• Soak dirty dishes in soapy water to help loosen/remove food and grease so that you don't need to run the water as much when you're washing dishes.

Applying these water conservation techniques at home could save you a few hundred dollars a year. Use this water calculator to estimate your daily water footprint. I was horrified to see that Mr. GGD have a 1,700+ gallon water footprint. We are pledging to cut this figure down by at least 20%, starting now. We plan to shorten our showers to no longer than 5 minutes (and to eat less meat! I just have to tell Mr. GGD this!) Your footprint is determined by direct and indirect water impacts. Things like, how much water is used to put that steak on your plate or how much water it takes to get your favorite pair of skinny jeans to your local department store and ultimately into your closet.

To read more about water conservation, check out the EPA's website.