"Holiday Dribble"
Mónica Santiago
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
CEA - Urban Development
Tarrant County
Turkey, dressings, carols, guests, and fun. Yes....it is that time of the year! We laugh, we play, open gifts, share memories, seek create new ones, and use enough water to fill up a 30' by 50' swimming pool! That's right! According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a traditional turkey meal for a family of eight will use approximately 42,000 gallons of water in food growth and preparation. When you factor in clean up (dishwaters, showers, toilets, and other fixtures used more during these times and by more people), the figure steadily increases. I am sure you have each experienced the reality of this as you prepare to pay higher utility bills after a busy holiday season.
Because approximately 60% of the water used in urban areas originates from groundwater reserves, our individual choices greatly impact the water realities for many around us....our neighbors! As a matter of fact, the EPA reports that a typical American uses nearly twice as many gallons of water per day as the average European (101 gallons here, versus 53 gallons in Europe) and the population of the North Texas region is expected to double in the next fifty years, making it imperative to conserve water and help stretch this very valuable resource that we cannot live without! Part of contributing as a community member is to participate in activities that conserve a much needed resource for us all - water! Let's see some ways you can contribute to your community's livelihood!
In Your Kitchen:
· Only run a FULL load in the dishwasher.
· Scrape scraps of food into the garbage pail or the compost pile, rather than rinsing into the garbage disposal.
· Don't leave the water running if washing dishes by hand. (By the way, energy efficient dishwashers use an average of 4-7 gallons of water, while washing by hand uses 16-25 gallons
In Your Bathroom:
· Fix leaky faucets and toilets. (A faucet that leaks 60 drips per minutes wastes approximately 259 gallons of water per month
· Replace a bath with a shower and then cut down on the time spent in the shower. (This will save approximately 1,460 gallons of water per year per person in the household. This will equal a savings of just under 6,000 gallons of water saved per year for a family of four.)
· Turn off the faucet as you brush your teeth, shave, etc.
Outside Your Home:
· Don't water between 10 AM and 6 PM. It minimizes the occurrence of evaporation.
· Use a rain sensor or turn your system off during and after a rain. Mother Nature has already taken care of the work for you!
· Fix leaks and faulty sprinkler heads, while ensuring that they are properly watering your lawn and not any concrete surfaces.
· Adjust settings considering changes in the weather.
· Cut your lawn higher to increase its ability to hold moisture for a greater period of time.
· Use native plants and grasses that are naturally more resistant to drought and require less water.
This is, by no means, an exhaustive list, but it is a start; one that is necessary if we are going to become part of the solution rather than a contributor to the problem of dwindling water supplies.
For more detailed information on ways to conserve water,
visit the Texas AgriLife Urban Solutions web page at http://urbansolutionscenter.tamu.edu/water-conservation-practices.aspx
Other Resources:
American Water Works Association
SaveTarrantWater.com
