Water Conservation Month also promotes energy savings

April is traditionally the driest month in Florida. Since 1998, water conservation practitioners throughout the state, backed by the governor and South Florida Water Management District, have declared April Water Conservation Month, to raise awareness of the need to protect our most valuable natural resource.

Here’s why: There’s as much water in the world today as there was thousands of years ago, and only 1 percent of it is available for human consumption. Nearly 97 percent of the world’s water is saltwater or brackish, and another 2 percent is locked in ice caps and glaciers. While the population and the demand on freshwater resources are increasing, supply remains constant, so it’s important to use available water wisely.
 
Americans have become more environmentally conscious and better informed about the impact we have on the world around us. Yet, the demand for potable water continues to grow. The latest U.S. Geological Survey shows the United States uses 408 billion gallons a day, with Floridians consuming more than 7.9 billion gallons.

Simple changes in our daily routines can make a big difference. Turning the tap off while you brush your teeth can save eight gallons per day, and taking a five-minute shower rather than a full bath can reduce water use from 70 to fewer than 25 gallons.

Leaks are major water wasters. Running toilets, dripping faucets and other household leaks can waste more than 10,000 gallons per year in a typical American home. Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from homes annually. A single leaky faucet, dripping once every second, can squander more than 3,000 gallons of water a year, wasting a precious resource and inflating your water bill.

Saving water isn’t just about money; it’s also about energy. Most people realize that hot water uses energy, but treating and supplying cold water requires a significant amount of energy too. American public water supply and treatment facilities consume about 56 billion kilowatt-hours per year, enough electricity to power more than 5 million homes for a year.

Again, simple changes can make a big difference. Letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as burning a 60-watt light bulb for 14 hours, so turning the tap off while brushing your teeth saves water and energy. New water-saving technology also saves energy. If just 1 percent of American homes replaced an older toilet with a new water-efficient toilet, the country would save more than 38 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough electricity to supply more than 43,000 households for one month.