Fresh water is a scarce resource, and both producing clean water and processing wastewater use a lot of energy and chemicals. I think water conservation is not only vital during this dry season, though this season might be a good launch point for those who have not thought much about water to begin taking simple steps.
One step that I took several years ago was to put a 1-gallon milk jug inside each toilet tank, without interfering with the flushing mechanisms.
Fill the jug with water and put in some rocks so that the jug does not float around. The jug takes the place of the precious one gallon of clean water that instantly becomes sewage every time you flush and the flushing power remains intact (since tanks are usually built with overcapacity).
For the newer and smaller toilet tanks, a half-gallon bottle can substitute without compromising performance. According to the EPA, toilet flushing is the single largest water guzzler at home, consuming about 100 gallons of clean water every day in average American households.
Once these milk jugs are in place, several thousand gallons of clean water can be saved in each household each year, without people lifting a finger.
Much more could be done by more inspired water-savers. When washing hands, vegetables and showering, do not run water at full blast; one-third to one-half of the flow produces a satisfying result.
Car washing can wait until rain comes, then a snow brush and several buckets of gutter water will do the trick.
In the past few centuries, we have been demanding more and more from this small planet, and now might be the time to relent a little.
Less is sustainable, and interesting.
Weiguo Hu
Amherst