Groundwater accounts for 97% of all the unfrozen water in the world, and more than 1.5 billion people across the globe rely on groundwater as their source for fresh drinking water. Constantly threatened by pollution, understanding the importance groundwater plays in our lives is vital for the health of our world’s groundwater. Tomorrow, September 10, 2013 is national Protect Your Groundwater Day, here are some ways you can help conserve and protect your groundwater.
Groundwater protection is a relatively simple science that has two main categories: defending groundwater against pollution, and smart water usage, i.e. not wasting it. One of the first steps to protecting your groundwater is knowing that anything you put in the soil or let run down a storm drain can be absorbed by underground aquifers. Unsafe fertilizer use, and improper storage or disposal of hazardous materials is two main causes of groundwater degradation. Learn more about how to safely use fertilizers and tips on proper lawn care in this PDF from the Environmental Protection Agency. Always follow manufacturers instructions that describe how to dispose of hazardous materials, check the EPA’s guidelines on hazardous material disposal to make sure you’re not accidentally contaminating your groundwater.
Limiting water use is just as important in protecting our water table as safeguarding it from pollution. About 14% of water used indoors is lost through leaks of one kind or another, conserving water at home is good for the environment and saves you money. Below are some ways you can save water.
Low-flows are good to go.
Low-flow shower-heads save an average of 15 gallons per 10-minutes of use. Installing a dual- flush or low-flow toilet will save more than 10,000 gallons of water a year.
Water Wisely.
About 60% of a household’s water use is spent on gardening maintenance. Save water by watering once a day and not twice, water in the morning to maximize efficiency.
Load from the side, and use the right setting.
Top load washing machines, unless they are energy star appliances, use about 20 more gallons of water than side loading washing machines. In addition to that, use the proper load setting for the corresponding load size.
Always Recycle.
Recycling one pound of paper conserves 3.5 gallons of water. Buying post-consumed recycled paper can also save water because it takes about 6 gallons of water to produce about a dollar worth of paper.
Cut down on cotton.
A pound of cotton costs about a 100 gallons of water to produce. The average American runs through roughly 35 pounds of cotton a year, totaling about 3500 gallons of water.
Saving water is an exercise that allows you to use your creativity to save the environment. There are thousands of things all of us can do to minimize our water footprint. Even though national Protect Your Groundwater Day happens once a year, it is important for everyone to exercise best water conservation practices on a regular basis. Need some more ideas about how to save water? Check out these 100+ ways to save water from wateruseitwisely.com.
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