3 : Be Water Wise

Overview
 
Welcome to the third week of the Staff Challenge! This week focuses on “Being Water Wise”.
Conserving water benefits natural habitats, reduces the need for costly infrastructure projects, and lowers carbon emissions by reducing the amount of energy used in the pumping and transporting water. Saving water helps reduce climate change!
 
Why is this important?
 
Less than 1% of the water on our planet is freshwater and available for consumption. In California, the water system provides water for 35 million people and irrigates roughly 6 million acres of farmland. A growing population increases the demand on water supplies, increasing diversion of water from the ecosystems that we depend on. Rivers, wildlife habitat, groundwater aquifers, and water quality are all affected by these water withdrawals. If we think of freshwater availability as a bank, we are making more withdrawals than deposits, and the balance is shrinking.
 
Even with recent rains, this year’s precipitation in California remains well below average, and the snow pack is between 35-47% of normal, which could mean less water available in our upcoming dry months.
 
The production and distribution of drinking water also requires a vast amount of energy. The state of California has one of the most extensive water distribution systems on the planet, moving water from the northern part of the state all the way to the southern border. Moving that water and treating it to drinking water standards uses a lot of energy - almost 20 percent of California’s energy use. Using water wisely helps maintain natural ecosystems, helps ensure water availability during dry months, and reduces CO2 emissions. 
 
How does the staff challenge work?
 
We want you to share what you’re doing to be a part of the solution! Whether it’s something you’ve been doing for years or a new action you took for the first time, you’ll get credit just for sharing. There are multiple ways to give your input:
 
Open this online form and submit your actions. Feel free to submit as many entries as you want! You’ll get one point for each submittal, and be entered in a raffle with each entry.
 
Download and print this offline form, which you can fill out and return to us by the end of April. Feel free to share with your coworkers who don’t use email.
 
Did you know?
 
What Can I Do?
  
Direct Ways to reduce water consumption:
 
Our daily lifestyle relies on more water than you think. Easy actions to reduce water use can save thousands of gallons of water (and money) a year.
 
Want to go for the biggest impact?
  • Sign up for a water audit with your local water company. These audits are usually free and can help identify hidden leaks and other water savings. 
  • Install a rainwater tank or a greywater system at home to reduce the amount of drinking water used for landscape irrigation and reduce water entering our sewer system. 
  • Plant your own California Native Garden: Many of the plants native to California have adapted to local rainfall rates and therefore do not require more watering.
If you can’t quite take the leap…
  • Upgrade to low flow faucets, showers, and toilets. Installing faucet aerators can help you save approximately $9,000 per year. Watch this video to see how easy it is to install an aerator at your home.
  • Fix leaky faucets and toilets. Leaks are common and can discreetly waste huge amounts of water. Fixing leaks in a household can help save thousands of gallons of water 
  • Reduce washing cars, and use commercial car wash that uses less water than a hose, and treats and recycles water.
If you’re just getting your feet wet - the basics:
  • Turn off faucet when washing dishes (saves 5 gallons of water), washing hands, brushing teeth.
  • Shorten your showers to <5 minutes. An average shower uses about 5 gallons of water per minute. If you shorten your shower by 2 minutes, you can cut your water use by 10 gallons. 
  • Calculate your personal water footprint to learn where to have the biggest impact.

Indirect ways to save water:
 
In addition to directly consuming water, we also use water in many indirect ways. Water is used in manufacturing, food production, and energy production. Being aware of all the ways we use water can help us make more sustainable consumer choices.
 
Want to go for the biggest impact?
If you can’t quite take the leap...:
  • Shop Smarter: It takes about 700 gals of water to make a T-shirt. That’s how much we normally drink in a 3 year period. Invest in a recycled clothing brand. 
  • Participate in habitat restoration programs. Restoring lands improves water infiltration into soils and groundwater aquifers.
  • Buy organic: Organic food items (specifically meat, dairy, and eggs) often require less water to produce than conventional produce. 
If you’re just getting your feet wet - the basics:
  • Recycle products: Recycling a pound of paper saves about 3.5 gallons of water. Buying recycled paper products saves water too, as it takes about six gallons of water to produce a dollar worth of paper. 
  • Opt for Rainforest Alliance Certified products: Rainforest Alliance Certified farms are recognized to follow standards of sustainability that conserves habitat, biodiversity, and moderate water use.
  • Ditch the bottled water: A single use plastic water bottle requires at least twice the water use as is contained in the bottle, with additional water used for packaging and transportation.
  • Drive efficiently : Producing a gallon of gasoline requires roughly 13 gallons of water. By driving efficiently, carpooling, and combining multiple errands, you’ll contribute to conserving water.
If you want to learn even more, check out some of these websites that have tons more tips:
 
 
 
 
 
 
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