By now, many of you have probably heard about the major drought that is affecting the entire state of California. The above map, provided by the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, give a general overview of just how extensive the drought is in California.
As the map shows, the entire state is in a drought, from moderate to ‘exceptional’. This may eventually have a profound effect on some crops, especially citrus later in the year, based on this report from NPR. To see how local agencies are responding to the drought in California, check out the interactive map from the Association of California Water Agencies.
Here are a few tips that can help you to conserve water during the warmer summer months from the National Drought Mitigation Center.
- Make Every Drop Count: According the the information provided, turning off the water while you brush your teeth can save more than 100 gallons of water a month. Incredible, right? If you have a leaky faucet, the drips can add up to 300 gallons of wasted water a month. That’s quite a bit of wasted water, isn’t it?
- Water-saving Devices: The NDMC suggests installing low-flow toilets and showerheads. They also note that many cities have programs that offer incentives to help people buy new water-saving devices. Check with your city to find out if they have these programs.
- Water Recycling: I thought this one was interesting: Many cities and other types of businesses are using “gray water” (waste water that is treated and cleaned) to water golf courses and city parks. Water parks like Denver Water World are recycling the splash water into other areas of the water park.
To find out more tips, try this link. What are you doing to conserve water during the drought? Here is an interesting infographic about water usage from eLocal.com.
