Water conservation encompasses the policies, strategies and activities to

manage fresh water as a sustainable resource, to protect the water environment, and to

meet current and future human demand. Population, household size and growth and
affluence all affect how much water is used. Factors such as climate change will
increase pressures on natural water resources especially inmanufacturing and
agriculturWater conservation programs involved in social solutions are typically
initiated at the local level, by either municipal water utilities or regional governments.
Common strategies include publicoutreach campaigns,[4] tiered water rates (charging
progressively higher prices as water use increases), or restrictions on outdoor water
use such as lawn watering and car washing.[5] Cities in dry climates often require or
encourage the installation of xeriscaping or natural landscaping in new homes to
reduce outdoor water usage.[6]

One fundamental conservation goal is universal metering. The prevalence of

residential water metering varies significantly worldwide. Recent studies have
estimated that water supplies are metered in less than 30% of UK households,[7] and
about 61% of urban Canadian homes (as of 2001).[8] Although individual water meters
have often been considered impractical in homes with private wells or in multifamily
buildings, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that metering alone
can reduce consumption by 20 to 40 percent.[9] In addition to raising consumer
awareness of their water use, metering is also an important way to identify and
localize water leakage. Water metering would benefit society in the long run it is
proven that water metering increases the efficiency of the entire water system, as well
as help unnecessary expenses for individuals for years to come. One would be unable
to waste water unless they are willing to pay the extra charges, this way the water
department would be able to monitor water usage by public, domestic and
manufacturing services.

Some researchers have suggested that water conservation efforts should be primarily
directed at farmers, in light of the fact that crop irrigation accounts for 70% of the
world's fresh water use.[10]The agricultural sector of most countries is important both
economically and politically, and water subsidies are common. Conservation
advocates have urged removal of all subsidies to forcefarmers to grow more water-
efficient crops and adopt less wasteful irrigation techniques.

New technology poses a few new options for consumers, features such and full

flush and half flush when using a toilet are trying to make a difference in water

consumption and waste. Also available in our modern world is shower heads that

help reduce wasting water, old shower heads are said to use 5-10 gallons per
minute. All new fixtures available are said to use 2.5 gallons per minute and offer

equal water coverage.

Importance of Water Conservation
Fresh, clean water is a limited resource. While most of the planet is covered
in water, it is salt water that can only be consumed by humans and other
species after undergoing desalination, which is an expensive process.
Occurrences such as droughts further limit access to clean and fresh water,
meaning people need to take steps to reduce water use and save as much
water as possible. In some areas of the world, access to water is limited due
to contamination. People who have access to fresh water can take steps to
limit their use of water to avoid waste.

The Why and How of Water Conservation

People should do their best to conserve water for three reasons. The less
water used or wasted by people, the less clean water will become
contaminated. In some cases, using excess amounts of water puts strain on
septic and sewage systems, leading to contamination of groundwater, as
untreated, dirty water seeps from the sewage system into the ground.

Water conservation reduces energy use and can even save households
money. Most families pay to use water in their cities or regions. The less
water a household uses, the less they have to pay each period. Appliances
that use water, such as washing machines and dishwashers, also use a
considerable amount of energy.

Conserving water now allows cities and regions to plan for more efficient use
of the water resources in the future. If most of an area's clean water is
wasted, there will not be water for future generations to use, meaning the
city will need to come up with new ways to produce clean, fresh water, which
will ultimately be at the taxpayers' expense. Tips for Saving Water

People can save water by making smart choices at home. They should only
use appliances that rely on water when those appliances are full. For
example, a family should wait to use the dishwasher until it is completely
loaded with dishes. Surprisingly, using the dishwasher uses less water than
washing by hand. Other ways to conserve water include taking shorter
showers and only watering gardens and lawns when necessary.

Older toilets use around five or six gallons of water every time they are
flushed. If the toilet cannot be replaced, one way to save water is to put a
brick or a soda bottle full of water into the tank. The brick will displace water,
meaning less is needed. New models of toilet use around 1.6 gallons of water
per flush. Some models also have a dual flush option, meaning more water is
used only when necessary.

Why is Water Conservation Important?

Residential water use, from flushing the toilet to watering the lawn, is the fastest
growing sector of water

users across Canada. In fact, on a global basis, Canadians are second only to
Americans in the amount

of water we use! The average Canadian uses about 120,000 litres of water per year,
about 330 litres per

day. At least half of this water use is unnecessary and wasteful. Water is lost due to
leaking faucets, old

water-guzzling toilets, and excessive outdoor watering. One hour of lawn watering
can use 1,500 litres of

water.

When we conserve water we also reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we produce,
since we use

less hydro and natural gas.

Water Reduction Tips

In the Bathroom - Three-quarters of all the water you use in your home goes down
your bathroom

drains! The biggest single water-wasting is your toilet.

 Don’t run the tap when you are brushing your teeth, shaving, washing up and
cleaning. Fill a cup or

the sink with some water and you could reduce water use for these tasks by 60 to 80
percent.

 Install faucet aerators. Standard faucet aerators can use up to 16 litres (3.5 gallons)
of water per

minute. Low flow faucet aerators can slash water use by half or more. They’re
reasonably priced and

widely available at hardware and plumbing supply stores and easy to install.

 Never use the toilet as a garbage can. Dispose of all waste chemicals,

cleaners and/or acids at the Household Hazardous Waste Depot days

provided by the County

 Try taking short showers instead of baths.

 Install a low-flow showerhead. You’ll save water and money.

For example, during a 6 minute shower you could save as much as 108

litres (24 gal) of water

 Replace your old water-wasting toilet with a new Ultra Low Flow toilet.

In the Kitchen - The water your use in your kitchen represents as much as

15% of your total indoor water use. Most of the water wasted in the kitchen

results from allowing the kitchen taps to run freely while you wash dishes, fruits and
vegetables, and

clean surfaces. Following these simple water-saving tips can add up to big water-
savings:

 Fully load your dishwasher; you may use less water than by washing dishes by
hand. If you do wash
dishes by hand only partially fill the sink(s).

 Install a faucet aerator. (see above)

 Wash fruits and vegetables in a partially filled sink instead of allowing water to run
continually. A quick

final rinse should be all that is necessary.

 Capture excess water in a container when you do have to run the tap. This can
provide a sufficient

supply of water for watering your plants.

 Keep drinking water in the refrigerator in a covered container instead of running

the tap while waiting

for water to get cold.

 Partially fill the sink or a container when cleaning the kitchen or rinsing cloths.

 Sink garbage disposal units waste water. These systems consume hundreds of litres
of water each

week. To save water and create a great soil conditioner for your garden, compost
your kitchen waste. The Importance of Water
Conservation
With 70% of the earth's surface being water, it would seem logical to think there is plenty for all of our needs.  We live
in a world of water, but approximately 97% of it makes up the oceans.  Ocean water is too salty to be used for
drinking water, farming, or manufacturing.  Only 3% of the world's water is fresh, and 2% of this supply is frozen in
glaciers and ice caps.  How much water does this leave us for use in everyday life?  You got it, only 1%.

The demands on our supply of water increase every year.  The challenge of today is to learn how to use our water
wisely.  This challenge is greater now than ever before as industry and population continue to grow.  The United
States has always had a plentiful and easily available water supply.  Water has been cheap and unfortunately people
have been careless and wasteful.  They have dumped untreated sewage, farm chemicals, and other wastes into
rivers and lakes, spoiling the water.  It is necessary to to start conserving our water because the supply of cheap,
easily available water is shrinking in the United States, and the development of new supplies will become more
costly.  If we hope to keep costs down we must all conserve.  Each of us has a moral and personal responsibility to
conserve this precious resource.  Here are a few helpful hints on how to conserve our water supply.

 Wait to run the dishwasher until it is full.

 Fill up the sink to wash your hands instead of letting the water run.
 Use a water saving shower head.
 Avoid long showers.
  Buy water softeners that only regenerate on demand instead of those that run on a timer.
 Fix drippy faucets.
 Check bathroom toilets for leaks. (Twice a year add a few drops of food coloring to the tank.  If the
colored water enters the bowl on its own, then you know you need to have it repaired.)
 Water your lawn early in the morning. (Moisture in lawns watered during the middle of the day is
mostly evaporated on a hot, sunny day.)
 Mow lawns at a higher level of 2.5 to 3 inches. (This will allow the grass to become thicker and collect
more dew, which gives your lawn extra moisture.  Taller, thicker lawns collect more moisture.)
  Keep a cold container of drinking water in the refrigerator (instead of running water from the faucet until it is
cold enough to drink).

Water is a precious resource to us and to future generations.  Life wouldn't be the same without it.  We must all begin
to use this resource more carefully and efficiently.  Conservation will not only save our water supply, but will also save
us money.  

START CONSERVING WATER TODAY!