I think just about everybody has heard by now that we have water problems in California this year. If you haven’t heard, pull your head out of your...well, wherever it’s been...and look around.
Last week the Governor called for a 20% cut of water usage from the average Californian joe. That may seem pretty extreme when it’s been raining so much in the last month. Let me break this down for you. First off, we’ve been low on water for several years running. This is a big state with a lot of people in it and we have huge demands on this very finite resource. Reservoirs were very low before this rainy season started and even though we’re creeping up on average precipitation for the year, our reservoirs are still lagging. Here’s another point. The rain came late this year and all at once. There’s only so many places for it to go when that happens. Creeks and canals get full and flood off to other places where we can’t catch it in a reusable, coming-out-of-the-faucet-next-week kind of way. It’s also about snow pack. We don’t just need nice, warm, wet storms. The snow that melts off slowly in the spring keeps feeding those reservoirs and rivers and keeps the salt heading the right way in the delta.
And who know what next year will bring? This whole global climate change thing is really a bitch.
So good call from the Governator. That’s not something I say often, but so it is. Let’s not stop freaking out because it sprinkled a few times. There’s still work to be done.
So what do we do?
Lots of stuff. For starters, read this paper by the EPA on how to conserve water. It’s a quick read and you just might learn something.
Now I’m going to shoot off some ideas that I’ve tried or some ideas that I plan to try or some ideas that I would try if they applied to me. I’m not trying to say I’m awesome and you’re not because I’m watering house plants with the glass of water I didn’t finish yesterday and you didn’t. I’m just sharing my strategy. If you’re awesome too, good. Click that “Add a comment” button down there and type stuff. Let’s share some ideas.
Appliances
So everybody knows there all these low-water, energy-star appliances out there you can buy now, but they’re expensive, right? Maybe. I just hit my local city government’s website and look at all the rebates they’re offering for stuff like low-flush toilets and water-saving washing machines. Pretty remarkable really.
Look, I know everybody is trying to save money right now. You don’t have to run out and buy a new washing machine to alleviate a guilty water conscience, but if you’re planning on buying a new appliance anyway and aren’t sure you can afford a brand spanking new one officially approved by the Tree Hugger Association of America, hunt around for programs in your city, county, or utility district and see if someone can help you make up the difference in cost between a used water guzzler and new, more efficient choice.
Also, let’s go back to that old stand-by. Got a toilet? Got a plastic container that you never plan on using for food-related activities again? Good. Fill it up with water and drop it in your toilet tank. Wah-la. Low flush toilet. Couldn’t hurt to try it.
Yards
Shawn and I ripped out our back lawn this year. The only interaction we ever had with that grass was to mow it, which was not a favorite activity. We replaced it with crushed granite that doesn’t expect to be watered or mown. Huzzah. Sure, it was a little expensive. I think for everything we did out there it cost us about a grand and we have a small yard and did a lot of the labor ourselves, but think about your water bill in the summer months.
Not everybody can swing that right now and it’s not everyone’s style either. Fair enough. But remember that EPA article that I told you to read? Check this out. Letting your lawn grow a little taller increases water retention in the soil so you can water less. And you can justifiably be lazy with the mowing. That article also says that planting native plants can reduce your watering by 50%.
“Plants are expensive, Shannon.”
Mmmm, true. But clippings from your neighbors’ gardens are free if you ask nicely... or don’t get caught.
Brains
You can do a lot just by thinking more. Sweep your sidewalks instead of hosing them. Don’t let the water run while you space out brushing your teeth in the morning. Let the car get a little extra dirty. I read one idea that suggested parking your car on your lawn when you wash it. It might land you in a Jeff Foxworthy joke, but it’s effective. Buy your kids a copy of 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth and let them hassle you into being a better human. Shoot, borrow mine. It’s twenty years old, but it’s still mostly valid and it’s got a lot of years hassling parents under it’s belt. Right, Mom and Dad?
So, that’s my drop in the bucket. What have you got?