You already know that saving water is important, but do you fully understand why water conservation is so vital to modern life? Saving water becomes easier to do when you recognize its importance in keeping the planet and its population healthy.
Lack of Available Fresh Water
Though the majority of Earth has water covering it, only 1% of that water is potable, meaning that people can safely drink it. Forms of water that exist on Earth that people cannot drink include the frozen water in ice caps and in glaciers and saltwater in the oceans.
Drinking water also is vital to supporting plants and animals. In fact, people frequently use fresh water for their lawns and gardens. Natural features such as forests, savannahs, and prairies also need water as do animals. Water conservation ensures that there is enough for the human population and all other living things that need fresh water to live.
How Much Water Do People Use?
The average family of four will use up to 300 gallons of water daily for drinking, cleaning, and personal care. Of this amount, 70% happens inside the home while the rest goes to watering gardens and lawns or washing cars.
Inside the home, water use for laundry, faucets, showers, and toilets each account for 17% to 24% of the total usage. More troublesome is the 12% of average water use that goes to waste from leaks. Fixing leaks and upgrading to green living plumbing fixtures can shrink your home’s water consumption and decrease your water bills.
Reducing Consumption Cuts Energy Use
The state must expend electricity to transport water to where people need it, move and process wastewater, and recycle water. These tasks require up to 20% of the state’s electricity use.
In California, much of the water used does not come from local sources, especially in the south. Southern Californians get half of their water from either the Colorado River or from the northern portion of the state. Transporting water this far requires 50 times more energy than getting the water from nearby sources. By cutting water use, the amount of electricity required to move it can decrease, thus doubling the benefit to the planet of practicing water conservation.
Make a Change and Start Saving Water Today
When you make changes to decrease water use, you can help the planet in multiple ways – more water remains available for other people and animals, your water bills decrease, and the state needs to generate less electricity to move water to your area.
One simple method of saving water is to install environmentally friendly plumbing fixtures. Contact us at Plumbing Concepts to find out more about your options and to schedule an appointment for installation. Phone us at any time at (951) 520-8590 to make a change in your home that will have a lasting impact on the health of the planet.
