Real Conservatives Conserve Water – Voluntarily

By Ward Smythe | Monday, July 12th, 2010 | Catch-All

Volunteer to conserve water now, before you’re told you have to.

It’s a matter of common sense actually. And in reality, it’s the conservative thing to do because it’s the wise use of our natural resources.

With record breaking temperatures in June spilling over into July with little rainfall, the water supply becomes a concern. Localities such as Chesterfield and others are implementing voluntary water restrictions. [Richmond Times Dispatch]

That’s right. Voluntary. In other words, be sensible about it now before, out of necessity, it becomes a mandate.

The American Water Works Association offers these water conservation tips:

~ Don’t over water your lawn. Only water every three to five days in the summer and 10 to 14 days in the winter.

Actually gardening expert Andre Viette says the best watering technique is deep watering. Water for 8-12 hours every 10 days or only three times per month.

~ To prevent water loss from evaporation, don’t water your lawn during the hottest part of the day or when it is windy.

~ Only run the dishwasher and clothes washer when they are fully loaded.

~ Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator or in the microwave instead of running water over it.

~ When washing dishes by hand, use two basins – one for washing and one for rinsing rather than let the water run.

~ Use a broom, rather than a hose, to clean sidewalks and driveways.

~ If you have a swimming pool, get a cover. You’ll cut the loss of water by evaporation by 90 percent.

~ Repair dripping faucets and leaky toilets. Dripping faucets can waste about 2,000 gallons of water each year. Leaky toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons each day.

These are simple measures that anyone can do. Other water (and money!) saving measures include installing a rain barrel (HGTV tells you how). A good soaking rain can fill your rain barrel in a matter of minutes.

Here’s the thing. Conservation and protection of the environment has long been considered an issue of the left. But only because the right let them get away with. The practical, and responsible way to care for the environment is to voluntarily use methods to reduce consumption and waste. It’s environment friendly. It’s budget friendly. And it just makes good sense.

We’re only a few weeks into summer. Reality is that mandatory restrictions will most likely be here soon. But why wait? Start doing these things now, and make them a habit year round.

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