H20 Conservation

Residents of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado have been wrestling with water rights ever since the exploration of the Wild West. However, water shortages are no longer isolated to America’s big sky region. As populations grow and rain patterns shift, water resources are becoming less and less predictable. Lake Mead’s 100-foot evaporation ring and the dramatic water shortages in the state of Georgia represent historic and current water management problems. Even NOLS river classrooms are feeling the pinch with fluctuating water levels and the prospect of river water extraction permanently lowering the Green River’s flow. As water shortages become more severe throughout the nation, water conservation techniques are more important than ever.

Below are some tips to help you take control of your water use:

1. Use your water meter to check for hidden water leaks
Read the house water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.

2. Check your toilets for leaks
Put a little food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately. Most replacement parts are inexpensive and easy to install.

3. Don’t use the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket
Every time you flush a cigarette butt, facial tissue or other small bit of trash, five to seven gallons of water is wasted.

4. Put plastic bottles or float booster in your toilet tank
To cut down on water waste, put an inch or two of sand or pebbles inside each of two plastic bottles to weigh them down. Fill the bottles with water, screw the lids on, and put them in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanisms. This may save ten or more gallons of water per day. Be sure at least 3 gallons of water remain in the tank so it will flush properly.

photo courtesy of Brad Christensen