In 1974-75, our family experienced a major drought while living in the San Francisco Bay area. Salt water incursion from the bay was so serious that it reached into the central valley river delta. Many had to resort to bottled water because their drinking water was salt-tainted.

What did we do? Many have heard the old refrain “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.” We did just that.

My point? We can all do a great deal more than to grudgingly obey the watering restrictions imposed on all of us as users.

Every day,when I casually go to my fridge to get a class of cool filtered water, I thank God for my good fortune to have at my disposal the blessings of plentiful, inexpensive, clean water.

My, how spoiled rotten we have become as American citizens. We blissfully expect our abundance of fuel, food and water to always be there.

Friends, following a breakdown involving any segment of our delivery infrastructure in a large metropolitan area (food, fuel, transportation, power, and water) we are, at best, two weeks from total anarchy.

I took a look at our last month’s water bill and noted that our household used 5,690 gallons. I thought to myself, “How much of that was used and how much was simply wasted?” Mind you, there are only two of us in our household, and we are conservative users.

I am still aghast at the amount of water that went through our house. I therefore resolve to begin to cut my monthly usage by at least 10 percent over the previous month. I challenge you, the citizens of Fayette County, to do the same.

Here are a few simple preliminary ideas to become “users” rather than “wasters.”

1. Try “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.” Get a bottle of Lysol or Pine-sol and dump a small amount into your toilet bowls to help mask any odors. Close the lid after each use. Flush ’em once a day. That’s 1.5 gallons per flush with newer toilets and a whopping three gallons if you have an older toilet. If all of Fayette county did this, the results would be measurable and significant.

2. Recycle your bath water. Dip plastic pitchers and water your prized plants and flowers with it.

3. While waiting for your water to get hot, let the water pour into a large bowl. Use this water for rinsing dishes or non-sterile washing. Absolutely pack out your dishwasher before starting it. If you have just a few dishes, wash them in a water-filled bowl.

4. Pack out your clothes washer and use only one rinse cycle when possible. Aside from undergarments and socks, you can wear your clothing more than once in most circumstances.

5. If taking a bath, try filling the tub to half of what is usually used. By the way, a quick shower uses significantly less water than a bath. If showering, get wet, turn off the water, lather up, then turn back on to rinse off. Better yet, take a shower with your spouse and “get reacquainted.”

In summation, it is the little things that add up to a make big difference. Refuse to let the notion to “let others take care of this problem” to pass though your mind.

When next month’s bill arrives, I will communicate my results to all of you. Until then, get your latest water bill and resolve to reduce your household intake by 10 percent. That’s my challenge.

It is vital that we make a permanent change in our attitude towards our own water usage. Be a user, not a waster.

Jeffrey Ward

Peachtree City, Ga.

login to post comments