National Drinking Water Week (May 3-9, 2009) is
coming to an end, but the preservation of our drinking water is a year-round
event.
Drinking Water Week is
sponsored by the American Water Works Association, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and other groups to highlight the importance of tap water and
the critical need to invest in the nation’s drinking water infrastructure.
The past few years have seen
droughts in many parts of the country; many
experts predict that at least 36 states will face water shortages within the
next five years. The AWWA says that “in the United States alone, communities use approximately 40 billion
gallons of tap water each day for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and other
everyday uses. To meet increased demand, the water community is investing in
new technologies such as water reuse and desalination of ocean and brackish
water.”
Here are 10 water
conservation tips from the AWWA:
1. Don’t leave the sink running while you brush your teeth.
2. Fully load the
dishwasher and clothes washer before running them.
3. Consider landscapes
that use native or drought-resistant plants that do not require much water.
4. Repair dripping
faucets and leaky toilets. Dripping faucets can waste up to 2,000 gallons of
water each year in the average home. Leaky toilets can waste as much as 200
gallons per day.
5. Install
water-efficient appliances in your home. Look for the EPA WaterSense labels,
and check with your local water system to see if they offer rebates.
6. Don’t over-water
your lawn, and water early in the morning or at night to avoid excess
evaporation.
7. When the driveway or
sidewalk needs cleaning, consider a broom instead of a hose. It can save up to
80 gallons of water.
8. If you have a
swimming pool, use a cover. You will cut the loss of water by evaporation by 90
percent.
9. Help preserve the
quality of the available water supply by not overusing pesticides and
fertilizers, avoiding flushing medications down the toilet or sink, and
disposing of hazardous materials properly.
10. Place rain barrels beneath your downspouts. The
rainwater can be used for outdoor plants and trees or to wash a car.
Infrastructure
Water infrastructure
projects involve engineering, pipe and valve manufacturing, concrete and
construction work and more. Water utilities are highlighting the need to invest in
water infrastructure to limit leaks from water mains, which wastes millions of
gallons of clean water, plus that money used to treat the water.
The
AWWA recently estimated that a $10 billion investment in water infrastructure
projects in the United States would almost immediately create at least 400,000
jobs.
The
EPA’s recent Drinking
Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment reports that the nation’s
water utilities will need to invest an estimated $334.8 billion over the next
20 years to deal with aging infrastructure.
Education
The NSF Consumer Affairs Office has developed a
Water Fact Kit to help
educate consumers on water quality and water conservation issues. Some of
the materials in the fact kit include:
-
Video: Learn More About Choosing a Drinking Water Treatment Unit.
-
Three Steps to Selecting a Home Water Treatment System.
-
Frequently Asked Questions about Home Water Treatment Devices.
-
The Six Standards for Home Water Treatment Devices.
-
Lead and Home Water Treatment Devices.
-
Eight Ways to Protect Well Water Supplies.
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Water Conservation Tips ... Every Drop Matters.
-
Water Testing Tips For Private Wells.
-
Understanding Bottled Water.
-
Ten Ways to Make Your Pool and Spa Safer.
NSF’s
Drinking Water
Week Web page has a variety of educational activities, including a water usage experiment to
help kids understand how much water a leaky faucet wastes, a water activity
book and educational articles on drinking water contaminants and treatment
options.
The EPA has a
“Kid’s Stuff” page where you can find projects and experiments to help kids understand water
conservation. For “big kids,” check out the
Education Resources page.
