Water Conservation
Sustainable communities use their resources wisely, and water resources are no exception. Turning on the faucet and instantly receiving a seemingly endless supply of water have led many us into the false assumption that clean water will always be available for our use. In reality, in the face of growing demands on water, water conservation is a choice we must constantly make.
Cascade Meadow supports wise use of our water resources by helping citizens in southeast Minnesota identify the places in their home and work lives where they can use their water resources most efficiently and eliminate wasteful water use practices. Look through the page below to get started. As our resource base grows, we'll add to this page.
The Quick Word on Water Conservation
Be a Water Detective
Go through your house or business with a pair of water-use “goggles” on! Anyplace where you use water, ask yourself these questions:
- Is there any obvious waste (drips, leaks) here?
- Is there a way I can change how I use water here?
- Is there a technology that I can use to help me use less water here.
Leave no area of the building unexamined. Think through how you use each sink. To help you, try keeping a “water log” by your sink that keeps track of all the different uses you have for water every day. You might be surprised!
Creative Uses of “Grey” Water Aren't Black and White
When and wherever possible, use water twice! Water that has been used once, but is clean enough for another use is sometimes called “grey water.” Grey water could be something as simple as water you capture while you wait for the shower or faucet to run hot. It could also be water from a fish bowl that you use to water the garden or a potted outdoor plant. Do you run a dehumidifier in the humid summer months? Instead of pouring that water down the drain, use it!
Water Conservation Resources
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has some quick tips of their own for water conservation.
The Environmental Protection Agency has a partnership program called WaterSense that focuses on conservation and efficiency technologies.
http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/
EPA’s WaterSense has published extensive resources tailored to your specific water resource needs, including fact sheets for home and business owners, utilities, and communities.
http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/information.html
*The toilets at Cascade Meadow meet the WaterSense criteria for water efficiency, and the bathroom faucets exceed the efficiency standard set by the WaterSense program by 36%!*