Published: May 01, 2008 09:20 am            

Carolyn Langley: Practice conservation

Fresh clean water is fast becoming the next "gold" commodity. Across the United States, water is becoming the number one concern, surpassing even the worry over rising fuel prices.

Municipalities, public officials and concerned citizens are focusing their attention on how to keep our water clean, how to manage our water resources and how to conserve our water.

Over the past ten months North Carolina has been in a drought. Recent rainfalls have replenished or lakes and streams, therefore fooling people into believing the drought is over. Unfortunately, this is not true.

As of April 15, Randolph County is still in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor for the Southeast. Sub-surface water or ground water supplies have not recovered. Unfortunately, most people do not think about drought until it impacts their lives. Many counties and municipalities have experienced mandatory water restrictions and as an old Scottish proverb says, "We'll never know the worth of water til the well runs dry."

Fortunately, there are many things that individuals can do to protect and conserve our valuable water resources. The following are a few tips from the N.C. Cooperative Extension's "Water Management Checklist for the Home," brochure HE-213, that individuals can implement.



Plumbing

- Limit the amount of shower or tub water by the way you use hot and cold water faucets.

- Insulate hot water pipes to reduce the amount of water that must be run to get hot water to the faucet.

- If possible, locate the hot water heater as close as possible to bathroom, kitchen and laundry areas. The closer the heater is to the faucet, the less water has to be run. For this reason, it's sometimes better to have two small water heaters located in strategic places.

- Check tub and lavatory faucets for drips. Make repairs promptly. These problems get worse - never better. Low-volume faucet aerators are easy to install.

- Teach children to turn water faucets off tightly after use.

- In buying a new toilet, look for a "low volume" model. They don't use as much water per flush.



Laundry

- Wash only full loads of laundry.

- Buying a new washing machine? An automatic clothes washer uses 40-80 gallons of water per load. Shop carefully and look for these features:

- Models that use less water.

- Capacity to fill needs. Don't buy a larger machine than you need.

-Water level controls so you can adjust the amount of water you use, depending on the load.

- Check garments to make sure they need washing. Don't wash clothes more often than necessary.



Personal care

- Urge family members to take showers instead of tub baths when possible. If tub baths are taken, the amount of water used should not exceed one-third of tub capacity. Tub baths can take 30 or more gallons of water, depending on how high the water level. Showers use 5-8 gallons of water per minute.

- Limit shower time to 5 minutes or less.

- Turn off shower water while you apply soap to body or lather hair

- Turn off water while you shave, brush teeth, etc.



Food preparation

- Save water used to wash produce and to do other kitchen chores by placing a bowl or basin under the faucet. Use water saved for cleaning, watering plants, and similar chores.

- To get warm water, turn hot water on first; then add cold water as needed. You get warm water quicker this way and save water.

- Reduce the use of garbage disposals - which use as much as 4 gallons of water per minute - by peeling vegetables, eggs and other foods on newspapers. Wrap the food waste and dispose of it with the trash. Or, use food waste in a garden compost pile.

- Use only the amount of water necessary to cook foods such as frozen vegetables and stews. You'll preserve nutritional value as well as save water.

- Cook foods over low heat in pans with tightly fitted lids to reduce evaporation of liquid.

- Use a tea kettle to heat water and avoid loss of water through evaporation.

- Select the proper size pans for cooking. Pans that are too large require more cooking water.

- Use a pressure cooker to save time and water.

- Chill water in bottles in the refrigerator to avoid running water.

- Put drinking water on the table only if people really drink it.



Dishwashing

- Wash only full loads of dishes in dishwasher. A dishwasher uses about 12-20 gallons of water per load.

- Avoid unnecessary rinsing of dishes that go into the dishwasher. Scrape if necessary.

- If washing dishes by hand, use one pan of soapy water for washing and a second pan of hot water for rinsing. Wash least soiled dishes first.



Household cleaning

- Wipe up small spills as they occur to avoid frequent mopping of floors.

- "Collect" household cleaning chores. Do them together to save water.



House plants

- Use rinse water saved from bathing or clothes washing to water indoor plants.

Soapy water that comes from soap you can use on your skin is OK for outdoor plants. Do not use water with bleach or borax compound in it on plants. It could damage them.

Rinse water can be used on outdoor or indoor plants.

- Water indoor plants only when needed. Too much water can damage plants.



Outside the home

- Car washing can use a lot of water. You may have to lower your standards and wash the car less often.

- Use a bucket of sudsy water to remove soil from the car. Hose down only as a final rinse.

- Drive your car onto your lawn before you rinse it. Water the grass as you wash your car.

- Take advantage of a soft summer rain to wash your car. Get out there with soap and a sponge!

- If you go to a car wash, patronize one that re-circulates water.

- If water is rationed or otherwise restricted, lawns and annuals should receive the lowest priority for outside watering. Trees and shrubs are more expensive to replace and should receive any available water.

- Mulch to retain moisture in the soil. Spread leaves, lawn clippings, newspapers or plastic around plants. Mulching also controls weeds that compete with garden plants for water.

- Try "trickle" or "drip" irrigation systems in outdoor gardens. These methods use 80-90 percent less water than hose or sprinkler methods. A tiny plastic tube runs along the ground near plants. The trickle system provides many tiny holes to water closely placed plants. The drip system tubing contains holes or openings at strategic places for tomatoes and other plants that are more widely spaced.

- Use a broom, not the hose, to clean the garage, the sidewalks and the driveway.

Water is our most valuable natural resource. "Be Water Wise" reminds us that "Your hands are the best conservation devices. Use them to turn off the water when its not being used, to fix leaks, to install water saving devices and more."

For more suggestions on how to manage and conserve water, call the N.C. Cooperative Extension at (336) 318-6000.

Carolyn Langley is the county extension director for the Randolph County Center of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service in Asheboro. She can be reached at (336) 318-6000.

        

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