Take Care of Texas — Be Water Wise

TAKE CARE OF TEXAS — BE WATER WISE

Fundamentally, water is the most crucial resource in the world. Precious water is a finite resource and there are critical shortages in many places on earth. Shockingly, it is estimated that 40% of the world’s population (about 2 billion people) is experiencing scarcity or a complete lack of suitable drinking water. There appears to be an abundance of water everywhere, but the stark reality is that while 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water; only about 3% of that water is considered adequate for human consumption. Additionally, approximately 97% of the earth’s water is salt water and essentially unusable as a regular potable water source. A majority of the water that is considered “drinkable”, is also sealed in glaciers and ice caps or extremely deep underground. This leaves less than 1% of water obtainable from rivers, lakes or groundwater. This certainly puts a different perspective on water sources for public consumption. The average American uses 80-100 gallons of water per day in the home. That seems excessive but examine how many times you turn on the faucet, how long you take a shower or how much water fills a bathtub for a bath, and how often and how long you water your lawn. Water conservation begins with individuals, our community, and our MUD districts.

As individuals or families, we can reduce the amount of water we use in our homes with just a few simple steps that don’t cause undue hardship in our way of life.

INDOOR SUGGESTIONS:

  • Take 5-minute showers. An average shower is about 8 minutes long, which is about 20 gallons of water. Daily savings is 7.5 gallons of water.
  • Decrease use of garbage disposal. Average use of a disposal uses about 8 gallons per day. Daily savings is 1.5 to 5 gallons.
  • Don’t run water while brushing your teeth or shaving. Turning off water while brushing or filling the bottom of the sink while shaving to rinse razor saves water.
  • Don’t flush unnecessarily. The toilet is not a trash can. Toilets are one of the largest users of water in your house. Daily savings are 4-28 gallons of water depending on the age of your toilet.
  • Fix leaks in your home. Leaks in bathtubs and sinks waste more than 3,000 gallons a year —one drop per second. Find leaks through inspection and maintenance of appliances. Daily savings are up to 24 gallons.
  • Leaks in other areas of your house from pipes contribute to lost water. Wet spots on walls or ceilings indicate a problem. Without repair, water loss can exceed 5,000 gallons a year.
  • Wash full loads of laundry and dishes each time you run one of these appliances. Daily savings are 7-21 gallons of water depending on actual daily use.
  • Check your water meter. If it moves when no water is being used, you have a leak somewhere. Leaks can contribute to over 2,000 gallons a year of lost water.
  • Appliances play a role in conserving water. When in the market for new appliances or products, look for WaterSense labeled products and Energy Star appliances.
  • Insulate hot water pipes. Less water is wasted while waiting for the water to “warm up”.

OUTDOOR SUGGESTIONS:

  • Clean walkways, driveways and sidewalks with a broom instead of hosing off debris. This can save about 30 gallons of water for every 5 minutes you do not use the hose.
  • Repair leaks in your irrigation system. A leak of just 1/32” in diameter can waste up to 6,000 gallons of water a year.
  • Create a “Water Smart” landscape; choose hardy drought tolerant plants or native plants to your area.
  • Know when to use your irrigation! Know the best time to water and how much water to apply. A general rule is to water early in the morning or late in the evening. A cycle and soak method allows sufficient water to reach plants and then allows all water to soak into the ground.
  • Avoid spray irrigation. Up to 50% of water sprayed onto a lawn or garden evaporates into the air. Especially avoid irrigating on windy days. With drip irrigation, water never travels in the breeze or ends up in the gutter. This type of irrigation is most suitable for gardens.
  • Leave your grass longer. This promotes a more drought-resistant lawn, lessens evaporation and promotes fewer weeds.
  • Step on your grass! If the grass springs back, it does not need to be watered.
  • There is no need to water your lawn every day or even every other day; in fact, watering too frequently causes roots to stay near the surface where the water is. Skipping a few days of watering encourages your grass’ roots to go deeper to reach more water. The deeper the roots; the less watering required.
  • Cover swimming pools when not in use. This simple act can decrease evaporation by as much as 90%.

We are all affected by the actions of our community and neighbors. Local HOAs have irrigation systems that water areas they maintain such as tennis courts, swimming pools, and landscaped areas. Individuals can help oversee these areas and report leaks to the appropriate HOA. If you notice a problem, report it!

The FBMUD47 Board strives to stress the importance of water conservation by educating the community on our water sources and infrastructure and ways to reduce water consumption and loss. The District maintains a limited irrigation system for landscaping and some trees along the District’s trails. The Board regularly evaluates and repairs issues in the irrigation system to limit water waste. The Board is also exploring additional ways to reduce or modify the irrigation system as landscaping and trees are more established and require less water.

In rural Kenya, 10,000 gallons can provide sufficient drinking water for a family of five for 10 years. Now consider how much water is unintentionally wasted in our own households—and the combined impact across the 990 homes in FBMUD47. Whether we calculate the water wasted or the water that could be conserved, the total is staggering. Our daily choices affect our families, our community, and our world. WATER CONSERVATION BEGINS WITH US.