UA Experts Share Simple Steps to Save Water

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Water is essential to life, but water security is increasingly unpredictable. According to the World Water Assessment Program, 1.8 billion people are expected to be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world population could be under water stress conditions by 2025.

Conserving water is one way to ensure the water supply lasts for future generations, but what are the best ways to conserve? Lo Que Pasa talked to experts at the University of Arizona's Water Resources Research Center, in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, to find out how Wildcats can save water at home, at work and in the community.

At home

The majority of an individual's water use inside the home happens as a result of bathing, laundry, cooking and doing dishes. Outside the home, pools and landscaping are major sources of water consumption.

"I give talks to a lot of different audiences, and I often ask, 'Do you think you could conserve some water? Even if you're very responsible, do you have an opportunity to conserve more? Raise your hand.' And everybody's hand goes up. My hand would go up, and we're not wasteful water users," said WRRC Director Sharon Megdal.

Megdal said one of the easiest ways to save water at home is by replacing old toilets with low-flow models. Newer versions of other appliances, such as washing machines and dish washers, are also being manufactured to maximize water savings. Sometimes, rebate programs are available to offset the costs of upgrading fixtures and appliances.

"The more efficient washing machines have been an important part of reducing water use inside the home. I think they are second to the toilet in importance in in-home conservation," said Susanna Eden, assistant director of the WRRC. "And of course, you should have a low-flow shower head and aerators on your sink taps. None of that has a significant impact on your lifestyle — you don't really notice the difference that much — but it really makes a difference in your conservation."

Outdoors, homeowners are advised to select drought-resistant plants and native vegetation for landscaping. Drip irrigation systems and timers can further regulate water usage and add up to big savings in the long run.

At work

"There are limited opportunities for water saving at work, but you can always be alert to noticing wasted water," Eden said.

Leaks represent one of the biggest sources of water waste in any environment. According to the American Water Works Association, one faucet leaking at a rate of 10 drips per minute will waste 1.44 gallons of water a day, 43.2 gallons a month and 525.6 gallons a year.

"If you notice that fixtures are leaking or that water irrigation systems are running onto the sidewalk, for example, you can report that to Facilities Management," Eden said. "Leaking over time can amount to a fair amount of water, and nobody at the university wants to see water wasted in that way."

Fixing leaks is a direct way to save water, but there are indirect ways to conserve water, too. One way is to conserve on other resources, such as energy. The use of water and the use of energy are intricately intertwined. Water is needed to generate energy, and energy is needed to deliver water. Saving energy saves water, and vice versa.

"A great deal of water is used in generating energy, therefore conserving energy — being careful with lights and heating and cooling — can make a big difference in water use," Eden said. "That is something individuals can think about in terms of conservation practices at work."

In the community

Many UA community members live in an area serviced by Tucson Water, the local water utility. Thanks to Conserve2Enhance, a program developed by the UA's WRRC, Tucson Water customers can track their water conservation efforts and help the community at the same time.

C2E participants donate the money they save through their water conservation efforts to to fund local environmental projects, such as enhancing urban waterways, maintaining riparian conditions to improve bird and wildlife habitats, and protecting water resources. To date, C2E has conserved 11.5 million gallons of water, while donating $100,000 to fund 11 community projects since 2011. Read more about C2E here.

"I say this all the time: Everybody is a water stakeholder. Everybody is a decision-maker influencer," Megdal said. "It's very important to have an informed electorate, because the decision-makers make their decisions based on what their residents say they want."

To that end, the WRRC offers a variety of educational publications and resources online, as well as brown bag lunch events and an annual water conference. The UA offers a plethora of other opportunities for employees to learn more about water. Here are a few to check out:

• Biosphere 2 offers educational opportunities and tours that specialize in water topics. An upcoming specialty tour on April 21 will focus on the research being done to develop better systems to ensure food and energy production, while saving water resources.
• The Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science has outreach programs dealing with a wide range of water quality and sustainability issues. Check out their upcoming event, Earth Week – SWESx, which will take place April 9-13.
• UA Cooperative Extension has a variety of water information available in the form of downloadable PDFs, as well as local events.
• The Office of Sustainability just wrapped up its latest guest lecture series, which was open to the public and part of a UA course called "The Green Economy." Visit the Office of Sustainability website for information on future lectures, or to volunteer to serve on the United University of Arizona Sustainability Council.