Featured In This Issue / Our most precious resource

Our most precious resource
by Chapman Vail

It is around us everyday. It falls from the sky. We drive over it on bridges. We frolic in it for recreation. It comes into our homes and workplaces seamlessly and effortlessly. We take it for granted. It is so available to us that we hardly stop to think that there may not be enough. As humans, it is our most vital of needs. It is water.

Our planet is 98% covered with water. We seemingly have so much. Unfortunately, only 2% of the water on Earth is available to us to drink. As the world’s population continues to explode, the demand for water to meet our basic human needs increases exponentially. In the third world, dirty drinking water is responsible for most of the transmission of deadly diseases. In America, we tend to think water will always be there for us, but just ask Californians who suffer water shortages and drought on a regular basis how scarce water can be.

As I have written before, being green is about conserving - and there is nothing more important or easier to conserve than water. Here are some simple, practical ways to help you do your part to conserve water:

• Every leaky fixture in your home, once repaired, saves up to 600 gallons of water per month!
• If you shorten your shower by 2 minutes each time, you can save up to 700 gallons of water per month.
• By running only full loads in your clothes washer and dishwasher, you can save up to 800 gallons of water per month.
• By turning off the water while brushing your teeth, you can save 3 gallons of water per day - that is approximately 90 gallons per month per person in your household!
• When washing dishes by hand, fill the sink and rinse with a second sink or a hose sprayer. This can save up to 500 gallons per month.
• Minimizing the use of your garbage disposer, and using your garbage can more, can save up to 150 gallons per month.

Most importantly, each time you turn on the water, if you remember to try to save even just a few seconds, over a lifetime, you will have a huge impact on conserving our most precious resource.

About the contributor
Chapman Vail is a Green Advantage® Certified Practioner as well as an USGBC LEED Green Associate. He has presented to various local civic and government organizations on the topic of living green, green building, and sustainability. He recently completed a minor home subdivision with the development of “recycled” green homes. He also performs both residential and commercial green building evaluations and project consulting. He currently works and resides in Woodstown, NJ. For more information, email chapmanvail@comcast.net.