STILL IN A DROUGHT
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Weather experts say the drought of 2007 was the worst on record. While the media is reporting drought conditions have improved and that a good percentage of the state is out of the drought, the US Drought Monitor and the North Carolina Drought Advisory Council shows Lee County is still in the “Moderate Drought” category.
Eric Griffin. Director of Lee County Emergency Management reports from an emergency preparedness standpoint, we have good access to adequate quantities of surface water and pond water for rural firefighting, but his concern still lies with the agricultural community and persons on wells. It will take time for the recent rains to replenish the aquifers (underground soils that store water that supplies wells). He also notes that as we move into the summer months, unless the rain continues at the pace it has been, there is a good chance due to the evaporation rates we won’t come out of the drought until next winter.
Recent drought conditions have made people realize just how valuable our water resources are and in the future water use will become even more of a critical issue. With this in mind you may be surprised to know the average person is likely to use as much as 60 gallons of water a day inside our homes. Bathrooms account for 75 percent of overall water use; kitchens, 20 percent; and cooking, drinking and miscellaneous uses make up 5 percent. When making water-saving changes, start in the bathroom.
Bathrooms
• Fix leaky faucets: A slow steady drip can waste almost 9 gallons per day. A faucet with a steady stream can waste 4,600 gallons a month.
• Check your toilet for leaks. Put a dye tablet or food coloring into the tank. If colored
water appears in the bowl without flushing there is a leak that should be repaired. A leaking toilet can waste 15 gallons of water a day. A low-flow toilet uses from 1.3 to 1.6
gallons per flush. A urinal, such as the ones in public restrooms, uses from .5 to 1 gallon
per flush. If your toilet is a 1992 or earlier model, it probably uses an inefficient 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. New high-efficiency models use 1.3 gallons per flush or less.
• Don’t use your toilet as a garbage can or ashtray. You could save 400-to-600 gallons a
month.
• Install water-saving shower heads. Older shower heads use from 5 to 7 gallons per minute (gpm). A low-flow shower head reduces the water usage to 2.5 gpm or less.
To determine if you need a low-flow showerhead, set a two-quart saucepan on the shower floor in the middle of the shower stream. With the shower on full, count how many seconds it takes to fill the pan. If it takes fewer than 12 seconds, you could use a low-flow showerhead. If you have a low-flow showerhead installed, it should read “2.5 gpm” or less. Remember not to dispose of the clean water from the saucepan, but recycle it on plants, pet water dish, etc. Shorten your showers. A 10-minute shower can use up to 70 gallons.
• Capture tap water. While waiting for hot water at the faucet, catch the flow for other uses, such as watering house plants. You could save 200-to-300 gallons a month.
• Install low-flow faucet aerators to reduce water flow at the faucets from 3 to 7 gpm to 1.5 gpm. If an aerator is already installed, the rated flow imprinted on the side should read 1.5 gpm.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. You’ll save over 9 gallons of water each time you brush. Leaving the water running can use 10 gallons of water each time you brush. Turn off the water while shaving. You could save 3 gallons a day.
Kitchen
• If you wash dishes by hand, don’t leave the water running for rinsing. You can save 200
to 500 gallons per month.
• Keep drinking water in the refrigerator to avoid having to run the faucet for cold water.
You could save 200 to 300 gallons per month.
• Don’t let faucets run while cleaning vegetables. Rinse them in the sink or a pan. You
could save 150 to 250 gallons per month.
• Avoid garbage disposals for food scraps. They use about 11 gpm of water to operate.
Other
• Choose high-efficiency appliances, such as Energy Star-rated clothes or dishwashers,
when replacements are needed. Energy Star is a government-backed program helping
protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.
• Water-saving dishwashers use about 4 gallons of water, which is about one-third of the
water needed by an older dishwasher.
• The average washing machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load, while the newer high-efficiency washing machines use less than 28 gallons per load. To achieve even greater savings, wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate load size selection on the washing machine.
While these suggestions may only save a little water, and we all can do a better job at conserving water in the coming year.
Susan Condlin is County Extension Director for North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Lee County.