What Can We Do?

Water and Los Angeles: Part Five

So here is what I have learned from researching this blog series on how we source our water: 

• We get most of the water we use in LA from other places
• The places from which we take our water suffer environmental consequences from this practice
• Our out-of-town water sources are running low on water, and it’s not getting better soon.

So here’s the deal.  Lake Mead on the Colorado River is already at historic low levels.  And it looks like our weather this year isn’t going to help the situation.  We are projected to have a La Nina weather pattern this winter, which means a warm, dry winter.  That means less snow in the Sierra, and less water for everybody.  Uh oh.

It’s time for us to re-think our water consumption here in Southern California.  Because, really, we don’t or won’t have much of a choice in the not too distant future.  I would bet that our State and Local governments would be telling us to conserve water already if it weren’t for Covid 19 and how tired people are of being told what to do.  So maybe we should bow to the inevitable and start conserving water on our own.

A good place to start is to do a water use audit on line.  This will help you to see how much water your household uses in a year.  Here is a VERY comprehensive tool to look at your water usage:  www.Wecalc

According to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the average person in LA uses 140     gallons of water per day.  About half of that is used for landscape irrigation.  But really, this is just the water that comes into our home.  Our total water “footprint” is much higher – about 2000 gallons per day – when you factor in the water used to produce our food, to create energy and to make the things we use.  It’s a lot to think about.  Sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode if I think about all the environmental consequences of everything I do.  So, I prefer to start small, with things I can do in my house and garden to conserve water. 
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Here are some things you can do to decrease water usage inside your home:

• Install low flow shower heads*
• Install aerators on faucets*
• Turn off water when shaving and brushing teeth
• Take showers, not baths; limit showers to a few minutes
• Wash dishes in the dishwasher whenever possible; full loads please
• Full loads only when washing clothes; if you need a new washer, High Efficiency models use about half the water as older models.
• This is gross, but “When it’s yellow, let it mellow; when it’s brown, flush it down”
• Toilets from before 1994 use 3.5 – 7 gallons per flush.  Newer high efficiency models use 1.28 gallons per flush.  Is it time to replace a toilet?  Think High Efficiency.  
• Check for toilet leaks by putting food coloring in the tank.  If it shows up in the bowl an hour later, you have a leak.
• Do not rinse dishes or clean veggies with water running.

*free aerators and shower heads are available if you are a LADWP customer.  Go to WaterConservation@ladwp.com

Outside of the house, there are things you can do to decrease water use as well:

• Consider replacing your lawn with low water use plants.  LADWP offers rebates for turf replacement.
• Change out fan type sprinkler heads for rotating stream heads; you will decrease water loss from evaporation and run off.
• Check regularly for leaks, and to be sure you are watering where you want to be watering.
• Pool covers save water by decreasing evaporation loss; they keep the pool warm too!
• Group plants with similar water requirements together.

MORE ABOUT WATER LEAKS

• The easiest way to determine if you have a leak is to shut off all water-using appliances, faucets and outside watering tools (do not shut off the main water line to your home), and then check to see if the flow indicator on your water meter has completely stopped moving. If you’re sure no water is being used inside or outside the home, and the indicator continues to move, you've probably got a leak somewhere. In rare instances your water meter may be faulty, but it’s unlikely.  At that point, you will need to determine where the leak is coming from.

• According to EPA, household leaks can waste 180 gallons per week, and toilets are often the culprit. Some leaking toilets make a noise while others might be visible (a slight trickle from the rim of the bowl to the water below). You may not be able to tell whether your toilet is leaking. To test whether a toilet has a leak, you can purchase toilet tank leak detector tablets, but it's simpler just to place a few drops of food coloring in the holding tank. If color appears in the bowl one hour later, your toilet is leaking.
• Check all your faucets to see if they are dripping – be sure to check under the sink as well!
• If it’s not your faucet or toilet, the next most likely culprit is your irrigation system. Look at your lawn. If you find wet spots or pools of water around your spray heads, you've probably found your irrigation system leak. Also, brown spots and boggy spots can help pinpoint problems. If you have a layout of your irrigation system, start by tracking the lines to recognize trouble spots.

Resources on Using Less Water:

• General Info on Water Conservation from the EPA via EPA
• United Nations on Water Scarcity via United Nations
• Water, Weather and More via USGS
• Water Efficiency in the Bathroom via Water-Saver.org
• Info on Using Dishwashers Versus Hand Washing via CNET.org 
• Basic Info About Water for Kids via Department of Environmental Protection
• Info About WaterSense For Kids via EPA
• Water Conservation Resources for Teachers via EPA
• What Is a Water Footprint via Water Footprint Calculator
• Calculate Your Water Footprint via Water Footprint Calculator
• Water Conservation Tips From National Geographic via National Geographic
• Virtual Water Conservation via Quality Water Services
• Saving Water Starts with Food via Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition