Get Ready For No Impact Challenge Day Six: Water Consumption

Photo Credit: Flickr/slight clutter

Whew! We made it through another holiday season!  Now, time to get serious about our New Year’s resolutions. Whether or not you practice this tradition, most can agree that January brings a feeling of renewal. What better way to renew than to participate in the No Impact Challenge. I have provided many tips in previous posts for how to navigate this weeklong experiment and today is no different. Today’s topic: reducing your water consumption.

When you think about your water consumption, it is important to think not only of the actual water that you use in your home, but also of the water that is used in the production of goods and services that you consume.  I calculated my water footprint using this online calculator and while my domestic usage was very low, I was surprised to learn that my industrial usage was quite high.  In my case, this is a result of food production.  Things like cheese and coffee are among the items that have higher water requirements (and also two of my favorite things on earth!)  Of course, in following many of the guidelines set out in this experiment, my number should come down. But it won’t be eliminated because the truth is, we need water to grow food.  And we need to drink plenty of water for healthy hydration.  But you can cut down on your water consumption by buying foods that have less water requirements, like fruits and vegetables and also by respecting the food that you do bring into your home and not let it go to waste.

In the home, a major source of water use is our daily showers. Most showers stream at a rate of 5 to 10 gallons per minute and most of us shower as part of our morning routine. I am one of those people who feel incomplete if I don’t shower each morning.  But lately I have been experimenting with taking showers on alternate days. And if my hair isn’t cooperating, I just pull it back in a ponytail. This saves me time in the morning that I can spend on something else I want to do, or I can get to the office early.  This saves water to the tune of about 150 gallons per week!

Then there is the toilet. In most households, the toilet gets flushed about 6 to 8 times per day and uses 5 to 7 gallons per flush. If the contents of the toilet are not too offensive, just let it sit there and flush next time. Cutting your household flushes by half could result in saving 200 gallons per week.

In the Kitchen, use water sparingly to wash dishes. If you use a dishwasher, only run it if it is full. If you need to rinse your dishes before they go in the machine, fill a dishpan to rinse them instead of running clean tap water.  If you spend 5 minutes per day rinsing dishes with running tap water before they go in the dishwasher, filling your dishpan can save up to 100 gallons a week.

Now look at those numbers for cutting back on those three water uses. You have the potential for saving almost 500 gallons for making some pretty minimal changes.  Feeling inspired? Are there other areas that you can cut back even more? Let me know your ideas for reducing your water consumption and I would love to hear that more people are joining us for the challenge. We start next week!

Need some refreshers on what to do for No Impact Week?  Click these links for previous articles on energy use, more on energy use, food, more food, transportation, trash, and consumer habits.

Eco Home Consultations provides green living consultation services in the Seattle area, focusing on practical ways to integrate green living into your household.  Learn more at www.ecohomeconsults.com or email questions about this blog or other green living issues to Melissa@ecohomeconsults.com.