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WATER CONSERVATION

Marylanders have access to an abundance of water much of the time, and we’re accustomed to having water available at the twist of a faucet. U.S. citizens use approximately 205 billion gallons of water a day for household, industrial and agricultural uses. Unlike the dry western areas of the country, in this area we often overlook the importance of conserving water. As our population continues to grow, however, demands on our precious water resources increase. In order to ensure adequate water resources for our future needs, we must put conservation measures into effect now.

Practicing water conservation on a regular basis can prevent or postpone the building of new water supply infrastructure. When utilities are able to reduce demand, they can frequently extend the life of existing infrastructure, saving their consumers the cost of building or renovating. Conservation can also reduce the amount of water that needs to be processed by wastewater treatment plants, again preserving infrastructure and also reducing the amount of waste discharged to streams and rivers. Finally, sound water use practices can make us more resilient during times of drought, negating the need for mandatory interventions.

AVERAGE DAILY WATER USE

Be aware of how much water you use! Awareness is the first step in conservation. The average Maryland citizen uses almost 100 gallons of water per person per day on the following activities:

• Toilet
• Bathing and hygiene
• Laundry
• Kitchen
• Housekeeping
• Outdoor activities

WATER SAVINGS

The amount of savings depends on current water consumption habits; water, sewer and energy costs; current flow rates of fixtures and flush volumes of toilets; system pressure; and the amount of water leakage through fittings and toilets. Water can be conserved by making improvements in the home or by modifying behavior.

Retrofit or Replace Water Fixtures

Water-saving devices are economical and permanent. Low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators save valuable water and energy used to heat water without requiring changes in personal water use habits. The following chart highlights how much water can be conserved by installing water-saving equipment in place of conventional plumbing fixtures, fittings and appliances.

Repair All Leaks

A dripping faucet is more than annoying -- it is expensive. Even small leaks can waste significant amounts of water. Hot water leaks are a waste of water and of the energy used to heat the water.

Leaks inside the toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day. Toilet leaks can be detected by adding a few drops of food coloring to water in the toilet tank. If the colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking.

If you have a leaking faucet or toilet, stop pouring money down the drain and repair it.

How to Save Water In The Bathroom

• When constructing a new home or remodeling your bathroom, install low-consumption (1.6 gal/flush) toilets.
• Place a weighted plastic one-half gallon jug or a toilet dam in the tanks of conventional toilets to displace and save water with each flush.
• Install low-flow aerators and showerheads. They are inexpensive, easy to install and save water and energy.
• Do not let the faucet flow while brushing your teeth or shaving. Use a glass of water for rinsing teeth.
• Take showers instead of tub baths. Consider bathing small children together.
• If your shower has a single-handle control or shut-off valve, turn off the flow while soaping or shampooing.
• Leaking diverter valves (valves which divert water from the tub spout to the showerhead) should be replaced.

How to Save Water In The Kitchen And Laundry Room

• Refrigerate a pitcher of drinking water instead of letting a faucet flow until the water is cold enough to drink.
• Use a dishpan or plug the sink for washing and rinsing dishes. Install low-flow aerators on all faucets.
• Do not pre-rinse dishes prior to loading in a dishwasher. Prerinsing is an unnecessary and wasteful use of water.
• Operate the washing machine and dishwasher only when they are fully loaded.
• Use the proper water level or load size selection on the washing machine.
• When purchasing a washing machine or dishwasher, consider water consumption as well as energy efficiency. Most manufacturers now provide this information to consumers.

Outdoor Water Saving Tips

Tips for the Home Gardener

Water infrequently, deeply and thoroughly.   This will encourage rooting and greater tolerance to dry spells. Plants send out extra roots in dry conditions to seek water. Plants often bloom more profusely when stressed, as the natural instinct to reproduce creates more flowers.

Water responsibly, using correct watering techniques. Water early in the day, especially as the weather warms, to reduce evaporation loss. Water less often for longer lengths of time to encourage deep root growth. Be sure your irrigation system is in proper working condition. If drip irrigation won’t work for you, try a hand-held hose rather than a sprinkler.

Properly condition your soil. Water does not easily penetrate clay soils and water passes too quickly beyond the root zone of plants in sandy soil. Adding organic matter to clay and sandy soils will increase the penetrability of clay soils and the water-holding capacity of sandy soils.

Mulch soil surface. Mulching cuts down on water loss due to evaporation. A two-inch layer of mulch or compost is recommended. Apply mulches to shrubs, trees, annuals, vegetable gardens and even containers.

Shelter container plants. To conserve water, move containers to areas with partial shade to keep them from drying quickly in hot windy areas.

Install a drip or other water conserving irrigation system. Slow drip and deep root watering systems can save up to 60% of all water used in garden care. Professionally installed and maintained irrigation systems will further help conserve water.

Discourage water competition from weeds. Keep weeds pulled and reduce the likelihood of them returning by mulching. Consider using landscape fabric between the soil and your mulch to further reduce weeds.

Washing Vehicles

Taking a few simple steps when washing your boat or vehicle (including automobiles, trucks, motorcycles and trailers) can help to conserve water and protect the quality of nearby water bodies.

Wash vehicles on grass, not on pavement.

Wash your vehicle over an unpaved area, such as an area covered with grass or gravel. This will allow the soapy water to soak into the ground, be filtered and eventually recharge the groundwater. If you have your own well, you should wash your vehicle at least 100 feet from the well head. If you wash the vehicle on a paved surface, the runoff flows into a storm drain and the water and contaminants are discharged to the nearest lake or stream.

Wash vehicles using a bucket with soapy water. 

Soap and water usually work well. If you need a special cleaning product for vehicles, read the label carefully and be sure to use a non-toxic, biodegradable detergent. Do not use a product that says “Poison,” “Harmful” or “Danger.” Be sure to turn the running water off while you are washing a vehicle.

Rinse vehicles with a hose equipped with an automatic shutoff nozzle. 

A standard garden hose uses about 10 gallons per minute. This means you use 100 gallons of water with only a 10-minute car wash. When you use an automatic shutoff nozzle on your hose, water does not flow continuously while you wash your vehicle, saving as much as 70 gallons per wash. 

Using a power washer can conserve even more water; power washers use, on average, about 2 to 5 gallons per minute, with a potential savings of up to 80 gallons over using a standard house without an automatic shutoff nozzle.

Consider going to a commercial car wash. 

If you cannot wash your vehicle in an area that drains to the lawn or a gravel area, take it to a commercial spray booth or car wash. A properly designed car wash is connected to a sanitary sewer that carries the dirty water to a wastewater treatment plant.

There are three types of commercial car washes: self-serve car washes, in-bay automatic car washes and conveyor car washes. The following table provides water use information by car wash type. The data represents the total water used and does not take into account whether or not a car wash recycles its water.

¹ Brown, Chris.  2002.  "Water Use in the Professional Car Wash Industry& Car Wash Association."   p.   47.
² Mid-Atlantic Carwash Association, Inc.  Information provided to the Maryland Water Conservation Advisory Committee.  June 2000.
³ WaterWiser [http://www.waterwiser.org/watch/wiser_watch.cfm?ArticleID=96]. February 2003.
⁴ Assumes a 15 minute car wash with flow of 10 gpm.

Swimming Pools

• Limit the frequency of pool refilling
• Cover the pool
  • The average uncovered pool loses one inch of water per week
  • Covering the pool can save 95% of water lost to evaporation
  • Conserves heat (which can save money for heating costs)
  • Prevents accidents
  • Reduces cleaning
• Lower the pool’s water to reduce losses from splashing
  • It’s recommended to keep the water level one inch above the bottom of the tile
• Lower the pool temperature
  • Reducing the temperature reduces water loss to evaporation and is particularly important when the pool is not being used
• Backwash only when necessary
• Check regularly for cracks and leaks
• Keep the pool and filters clean to reduce frequency of filter backwashing
• Run filter backwash onto lawns and shrubs or collect for reuse
• Ensure that water is absorbed before it leaves your property and avoid allowing runoff to enter adjacent properties
• If acid has been used to clean the pool, the water should be neutralized

Useful Links:

http://www.h2ouse.org/

http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/