Credit: Frank McShane
Where does water come from?
Tap water comes from…
• Surface water (rivers and reservoirs)
• Underground pools called aquifers
Credit: John Cornacchia
Credit: Jeff Oates
Credit: Frank McShane
Conserving Water
Everything we do on the land has an impact on local waterways.
• Indoors, the goal is to reduce the amount of water that goes down the drain.
• Outdoors, we can reduce the amount of water that evaporates or runs off our properties.
Credit: Bener Kavukcuoglu
Conservation (noun): the keeping or protecting of something from change, loss, or damage.
Natural Water Cycle
Credit: Frank McShane
Stormwater
Rain is natural, but stormwater is manmade.
• Stormwater is the water from rain or melting snow that can become “runoff,” flowing over the hard surfaces like roofs and pavement and enter waterways.
• Runoff can cause flooding and carry pollutants to waterways.
Credit: Shaun Bailey
Green Stormwater Management
Credit: Frank McShane
Water Conservation
• At Home (slides 10-13)
• In Business and Industry (slides 14-15)
• At School (slides 16-17)
• At Hotels (slides 18-19)
• At Golf Course and Other Large Recreational Land Areas (slides 20-21)
• On the Farm (slides 22-25)
If you are on public water supply…
• Many water providers conduct free home water audits.
• Your water bill will tell you how many gallons of water you use per billing cycle.
If you have your own well…
• Install a flow meter to determine how much water you are using.
Domestic water use consumes an estimated 14% of all freshwater used in the US. (www.worldbank.org)
Leaks Inside and Outside…
Credit: Frank McShane
Inside the Home - Bathroom Tips:
• Use water-wise, low flow fixtures and showerheads.
• Reduce shower time.
• Consider a toilet upgrade.
• Turn water off as you brush your teeth or shave.
Did you know?
Turning off the water as you brush your teeth and shave can save over 11,000 gallons per year.
A water-wise low flow fixture can save approximately 7,600 (or more) gallons per year in the average household!
By reducing shower time to 5 minutes, you can save 12,000 gallons of water per year!
Inside the Home – Kitchen & Laundry
Tips:
• Upgrade dishwashers and washing machines to Energy Star labeled.
• Always run dishwashers and washing machines with full loads.
• Don’t let water run as you hand wash your dishes.
• Reuse water when you can.
• Keep a pitcher of cold water in the fridge instead of running cold water until it is cold enough.
• Compost vegetable and fruit waste instead of running the garbage disposal.
Did you know?
Energy Star labeled dishwashers and washing machines can save a combined 30,000 gallons of water per year! Updated or aerated faucets can save over 15,000 gallons of water per year!
Outside the Home
Did you know?
By raising your mower blade to at least 3 inches, the longer grass creates shade for healthier root systems that soak up and retain more water.
A heavy rainfall can sustain your yard for up to 2 weeks.
Tips:
• Avoid using sprinklers on hot or windy days (to decrease the rate of evaporation).
• Only water lawns about 1 inch per week.
• Raise your mower blade to at least 3 inches.
• Use drought and heat tolerant grasses and plants.
Outside the Home continued
Tips:
• Use soaker hoses or other drip methods instead of sprinklers.
• Use rain barrels or cisterns to collect rain water and water your lawn, plants or garden.
• Use commercial car washes or wash cars on the grass.
• Keep your pool and hot tub covered to reduce evaporation.
• Use a broom to clean up walkways, steps, and driveways instead of the hose.
• Shovel snow and ice and use only saltfree de-icing alternatives when necessary.
• Install aerators and low flow or motion sensing faucets in bathroom and kitchen areas, as well as WaterSense labeled toilets and urinals.
• Conduct a company water use audit.
• Consider using reclaimed wastewater or captured rainwater for industrial processes.
• Designate a contact person or department for employees to report plumbing leaks and repair them.
• Wash company vehicles at a carwash that recycles water.
• Update and maintain cooling and heating systems.
Industry and institutions account for an estimated 46% of all freshwater used in the US. (www.worldbank.org) Tips:
Outside the Business –Grounds and Landscaping
Tips:
• Replace expensive, high maintenance turf grass with absorbent meadows, native plant gardens, trees, and rain gardens.
• Make sure sprinkler systems do not water paved areas.
• Only water as needed and use moisture-sensing irrigation controllers.
• Use brooms to sweep outdoor walkways instead of hosing them down.
• Use rain barrels or cisterns to collect water and water lawns and landscaped areas.
• Keep snow piles at least 100 feet away from streams and floodplains
• Dump snow in areas that will allow melting snow to soak into the ground.
• Store de-icing materials on pads and under cover away from stormwater flow paths and stormdrains.
• Schedule street sweeping to remove residual salts from parking areas each spring.
Inside the School
Tips:
• Make leaks in pipes, sinks, and toilets a priority on maintenance repair to-do lists.
• Install aerators and low flow or motion sensing faucets in bathroom.
• Install WaterSense labeled toilets and urinals.
• Choose water efficient and energy saving models when updating facility systems and kitchen equipment.
• Train staff on water-saving techniques.
• Use strainers instead of garbage disposals in kitchen sinks.
Tips:
Outside the School – Ball Fields, Grounds, and Landscaping
• Use native and drought tolerant grasses and plants.
• Water only as needed.
• Where possible, convert turf grass to natural meadows or forests.
• Make sure sprinkler systems do not water paved areas.
• Use moisture-sensing irrigation controllers so your sprinklers never run in the rain.
• Raise mower blade to at least 3 inches.
• Try soaker hoses and other drip methods as alternatives to sprinklers.
• Use rain barrels or cisterns to capture rain and use on lawns, landscaped areas, or washing vehicles/equipment.
• Use brooms to sweep outdoor walkways.
• When treating icy parking lots and walkways, consider using salt-free de-icers and keep snow piles at least 100 feet away from streams, flood plains, and stormdrains.
• Dump snow in areas that will allow melting snow to soak into ground.
Inside the Hotel
Tips:
• Encourage guests to reuse towels and bed linens.
• Train cleaning staff to take only guest-designated towels and linens for cleaning.
• Upgrade laundry facilities.
• Run only full loads of laundry.
• Replace inefficient fixtures with WaterSense labeled faucets, showerheads, toilets, and urinals.
• Install aerators and low flow or motion sensing faucets in public bathrooms
• Repair leaks in pipes, sinks, and toilets.
• Use water efficient dishwashers, ice makers, and cooking appliances.
• Train kitchen staff on water-saving techniques.
• Use strainer instead of garbage disposal in kitchen sinks.
Did you know?
A WaterSense labeled toilet uses a maximum of only 1.3 gallons per flush and saves nearly 11,000 gallons of water per year! Toilets installed prior to 1992 can use 3.5 or more gallons per flush.
Outside the Hotel –Grounds
Did
you know?
Soaker hoses and other drip methods can save 30-50% of landscape irrigation water use.
and Landscaping
Tips:
• Use native, drought tolerant plants and turf.
• Only water as needed using moisture-sensing controllers.
• Make sure sprinkler systems do not water paved areas.
• Raise mower blades to at least 3 inches.
• Try soaker hoses and other drip methods as an alternative to sprinklers.
• Use rain barrels and cisterns to capture and reuse water on lawns and landscaped areas.
• Use broom to sweep outdoor walkways instead of hosing them down.
• When treating icy parking lots and waterways, use salt-free de-icers.
• Store de-icing materials on pads and under cover.
• Keep snow piles at least 100 feet away from streams, floodplains, and stormdrains.
• Dump snow in areas that allow melting snow to soak into the ground.
• Schedule street sweeping to remove residual salts from parking areas each spring.
Water Conservation at Golf Courses and Other Large Recreational Land Areas –Water-wise Irrigation
Tips:
• Upgrade irrigation systems.
• Use weather related software and ground moisture sensors to water turf.
• Never allow sprinklers to operate in the rain or water paved areas.
• Use mulch in flower beds and landscaped areas to avoid water evaporation from the soil.
Water Conservation at Golf Courses and Other Large Recreational Land Areas – Grounds Management
Tips:
• Define vehicle, cart, and pedestrian traffic to specific pathways to avoid compaction of soil.
• Use drought and pest resistant grass.
• Employ aeration and other soil cultivation techniques to improve water infiltration.
• Consider use of treated municipal wastewater for irrigation purposes.
• Set mower blades higher.
• Where turf grass is not needed, create a naturalized meadow.
• Create onsite water storage ponds in low lying areas for irrigation use in dry weather.
• When treating icy parking lots and walkways, use salt-free de-icers.
• Keep snow piles at least 100 feet away from streams, floodplains, and stormdrains.
• Store de-icing materials on pads and under cover.
• Dump snow in areas that allow melting snow to soak into the ground.
• Schedule street sweeping to remove residual salts from parking areas each spring.
• Install water flow meters to understand and monitor your water usage.
• Consider using low-spray (close to ground) or drip irrigation systems
• Use holding ponds as water supply.
• Use local weather data and computer software/apps to determine effective irrigation times.
• Level and contour-plow fields when possible.
• Capture water that runs off your fields for reuse.
• Consider creating berms between
On the Farm – Grounds Management
Tips:
• Where appropriate for the crop, use black plastic film or reusable landscape cloth to prevent moisture evaporation and reduce watering needs.
• Use cover crops to reduce water evaporation from soil.
• Avoid compacting soil with heavy machinery.
• Plant trees to provide windbreaks to reduce water evaporation on the fields.
On the Farm – Building and Systems Maintenance
Tips:
• Install gutters to capture rain that runs off buildings, barns, and even hoop houses in barrels and cisterns.
• Be on the lookout for leaks and make repairs as quickly as possible.
On the Farm – Livestock Management
Tips:
• Install livestock fencing and cattle crossing to keep livestock out of creeks.
• Graze livestock rotationally to avoid overgrazing and loss of groundcover.
• Divert rainwater runoff away from heavy livestock traffic and manure areas.
• Manage manure and runoff from livestock areas in both wet and dry storage facilities.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/delawareestuary/pdf/blue-guide.pdf
This presentation was developed by The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.
Funding for this guide was provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency in support of the National Estuary Program.
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