Water conservation is the reduction in use of water through a variety of methods. Most households waste water through inefficient plumbing, leaks, clothes washing machines, and over watering the landscape.
It is estimated that about 30% of total household water use is outdoors. Of that 30%, 40 to 70% is used to irrigate the landscape; a staggering 9 billion gallons of water used per day.
Conserving water will:
Droughts are naturally occurring events that result from less than normal precipitation over short or extended periods of time.
The effects of drought can affect normal human activities and the environment. Drought is a normal part of climate patterns and occurs virtually everywhere.
Drought is not detrimental in and of itself. Problems with drought arise when water use exceeds water supply.
Conserving water is fast becoming a hot topic across the nation. Water is one of our most precious natural resources. Although the Earth’s surface is 70% water, only 2.5% is fresh water. The amount of fresh water available for human use and consumption, however, is less than 1% of the fresh water.
Drought and the potential impacts of climate change only adds to the uncertainty surrounding water availability.
There are many ways to conserve water around the home …
Many people have misconceptions about what a water conserving landscape should look like. Instead of xeriscape, another term for water conserving landscapes, many think of a ‘zero-scape’ or a landscape made up of rock, cactus, and animal skulls.
While there are many concerns about what a water conserving landscape should look like, many can be solved by simply understanding what a water conserving landscape is and what it is not.
A water conserving landscape simply uses less water than …
