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We suspect that it seems a bit odd when area residents hear that they should start conserving water. Maybe it’s because we have water, water everywhere. Creeks roll past and even through most of our municipalities, lakes and ponds dot our landscape in abundance, and the longest river on America’s east coast bisects Luzerne County.
Yet here we are, officially under a “drought watch” declared by the state Department of Environmental Protection. All surrounding counties are similarly labeled except Schuylkill County, which earned the more serious designation of “drought warning.”
Don’t assume these are purely subjective ratings. To quote from dep.pa.gov, “Drought declarations aren’t based on one indicator alone. DEP makes drought watch, warning, or emergency declaration recommendations based on four numeric indicators: stream flow, groundwater level, precipitation, and soil moisture. There are normal ranges for all four indicators. DEP makes its drought declarations after assessing the departures from these normal ranges for periods of 3-12 months. DEP also factors in information it receives from public water suppliers.”
So please, take it seriously when water utilities urge conservation efforts, as Pennsylvania American Water did this week. The company has asked residents and businesses to voluntarily reduce nonessential water use by 10-15%, which for most people works out to a reduction of about 11-16 gallons a day.
That may sound like a lot, but consider some usage for our bigger routines.
The typical bath tub holds about 70 gallons, and estimates for how much a person uses to take a bath range from 35 to 50 gallons. You can meet the reduction on a given day by simply filling the tub a bit less per bath. Or consider taking a shower. If you have a low-flow showerhead, six minutes getting clean should save you at least three gallons compared to a bath. Shorter shower, bigger savings.
The good old toilet flush uses up to 7 gallons each time, so skipping two flushes a day when the waste is minor will meet the reduction goal. Better yet, invest in a low-flow toilet and save yourself more than five gallons a flush every time. And ignore those who insist they don’t work and require multiple flushes. The technology has been honed for decades, and odds are you’ll find they work just fine, paying for themselves in the long run. Do consult with a plumber before making the switch, to make sure your plumbing can handle the change — and to assure you get a toilet that will work with what you’ve got.
Clothes washing machines can use between 20-40 gallons each cycle, so skipping a load just once a week — maybe use the bed sheets a bit longer between cleanings, or wear a clean shirt one day more than usual — can be a big water saver. At the very least, make sure you have a full load as often as possible.
There are plenty of other tips that are pretty easy to follow including fixing leaks and skipping any urge to water your lawn (it will usually go dormant and survive until the next rainfall). We listed some recommendations in a Wednesday article, or visit DEP’s online resources at dep.pa.gov/drought.
Yes, we live in an area that has an abundance of water, and we are only being asked to reduce use, not required to. But ignoring the request increases the risk of making things worse, while for most of us, heeding it will actually have no noticeable impact on our quality of life.