Save the Water!

Summertime is upon us. Between some relaxing, enjoying the pool, going to farmer’s markets and all the other activities that go with warm weather, you can bet a good number of us will be spending some time hunched over our gardens and lawns.

Americans love gardening and landscaping. It’s like playing in a grown-up sandbox. In 2006, we spent more than $27 billion dollars on professional landscaping and do-it-yourself projects. Granted, this was before the onset of the current recession, but here we see yet another convergence where being lean and green makes all too much sense.

Have you noticed “Save the Water” or “Use Only What You Need” campaigns in your hometown? Have you thought, “wait a minute — since when did we have a water problem?” To use Denver as an example, the combination of the unpredictable effects of global warming together with shifting populations and seasonal variability means that even a traditionally robust water supply can quickly come under threat. When as much as 30 percent of American’s outdoor water usage streams into our lawns, that means a lot of water and money keeping grass green. Useonlywhatyouneed.org claims a staggering 55 percent of our water usage is on outdoor watering.

This isn’t a new issue, as homeowners in dry climates susceptible to drought like Arizona have been seeking alternatives to water-guzzling lawns for years. The average water usage in a U.S. household is about 69 gallons. The average household water bill can fluctuate from $25/month in the winter to $80-$150/month in the summer, depending on where you live and what your supply is like. That’s indicative of the surge in summer water use, and incentive to save where possible. More on how to do that in a bit…

The water issue may be similar to global warming: ignored for too long until it becomes a huge problem to tackle. Again, with Denver as the example, the Colorado River Compact is an 87-year-old water sharing agreement between states in the upper water basin (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico) and lower basin (Nevada, Arizona and California). Until about 1990, the sharing agreement worked successfully as none of the states involved used the amount of water allocated. But now California, Arizona and Nevada are using everything they can, and it should be unsettling when cities and states are talking about having to buy water to meet their needs.

With states like California, Arizona and Nevada suffering now, it could create a strain on other states not necessarily experience droughts or traditionally having problems with their supply — like Colorado. In 2002, Interior Secretary at the time, Gale Norton cut back on the amount of water California could draw from the Colorado River supply. He said “the era of limits is upon us.”

Tips for Saving Water

Whether you’re an avid gardener, keen on long showers, or the crazy guy on your street that takes his lawn care a little too seriously, there are easy ways to save money and conserve — lean and green.

Let’s start with curbing the American addiction to big lawns and its associated water waste. It can be easier than you think!

• For starters, if you do have a lawn, mowing it with your blade on a higher setting help keeps the soil cool and reduces the rate of evaporation/drying out.

• Using organic mulch wherever you have plants or flowers helps keep moisture in, and reduces the frequency of watering needed.

• If you have a sprinkler system, check regularly for costly and wasteful leaks — I know from my college summers spent landscaping how easy it is to damage lines.

• If you are watering your lawn or garden, do it in the early morning or evening. Denver rules actually restrict watering between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. — this is common sense for reducing waste, increasing efficiency and saving money.

• Replace your lawn with a “Xeriscape” garden. These feature low-water plants that look great and help you save. It also adds color and vibrancy to your home. Here’s an example:

But let’s assume that you aren’t a face-in-the-dirt, hardcore gardener. Lots of us live in apartments or just don’t care about home landscaping. How else can you save and conserve? These tips are maybe obvious, but sometimes easy to overlook:

• Cut a minute or two off your time in the shower.
• Fill a pop bottle with sand or pebbles and toss it in your toilet tank — it’ll reduce the amount of water used with each flush.
• Only use your dish or clothes washer for full loads. If you wash dishes by hand, fill up one side of the sink for rinsing as it’ll save far more water than by just letting the faucet run.
• If you drink tap water, fill bottles and put them in the fridge — running water while waiting for it to cool is wasteful.
• Check for leaks everywhere — your sprinkler system, your pipes, toilets … these happen and can go on to cause damage to your house, foundation, wallet and the environment!

For a complete rundown of day-to-day tips, click here.

Think wasting water isn’t a big deal? According to the American Water Works Association, if U.S. homeowners took to conserving their water use, we could cut about 30 percent of our overall use, save 5.4 billion gallons every day, saving us $11 million each day and $4 billion every year.

It pays to save. Literally — Denver Water offers incentives and rebates for conservation. So next time you see a public bus with a “Use Only What You Need” ad, or go to water your lawn, take a minute to think about what you could do to help yourself and the environment.