Author: Ray Subs

NASA’s International Space Station has very limited resources. This includes water. For astronauts there, water recycling is the only feasible option. Many people don’t realize it, but water is in limited supply on earth also. Only about three percent of the world is fresh water, and of that two percent is unavailable in polar ice caps, so only one percent of the world’s water is fit for human consumption.

In the United States, the average household uses three hundred and fifty gallons of water a day. That may not seem like much, but when you multiply it out over a year that amounts to 127,400 gallons. That’s a lot of water. Of that, in some homes almost seventy percent is used for watering lawns and gardens. Because of the finite nature of our usable water and the current rate with which we use it, it makes sense that so many government and environmental groups are calling for more water conservation. Water is precious stuff. While it is technically possible to make water chemically, the amount of energy needed makes it an impractical solution

“Utilities enforce and promote water restrictions through rates, municipal ordinances, federal laws and regulations, and financial incentives.” One example of this is only allowing the public to water their lawns on certain days. Or by not allowing home car washing with a hose. Some counties only permit water fountains that use recirculated water. As far as financial incentives, some counties offer them to consumers that install more efficient or low-flow plumbing or change out their lawn for resilient plants that require less watering. The country’s average for recycling wastewater is only 2.3%. However, in areas that are plagued more frequently by drought, that percentage may be as high as twenty-five percent.

Since scientists are unable to predict droughts or the length and severity of droughts, beginning and maintaining water conservation measures and programs is the only way to ensure that our area is prepared if a drought does occur. Using wastewater for irrigation or similar work, shortening showers, conservation efforts at businesses, Aquifer Storage and Recover (ASR) programs, and other responsible consumer actions can all help. Water conservation isn’t just another environmentally friendly thing we “ought to do”. It is vital to ensure there is enough water for our children and grandchildren.

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For more information about water conservation, please visit www.centralbasin.org

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Facts About Water Conservation