water not.
“We have altered the driest parts of California to fulfill our ambitions, and for
years we have been able to ignore their natural limits. Now a growing
population and a changing climate are pushing those limits as never before.”
how it flows.
On average, 14.4 million acre-feet of surface water is
transported across the state every year to supply urban
and agricultural areas through a complicated network of
reservoirs, dams, canals and aqueducts.
waste not.
The average household in California uses 178 gallons of water per day.
Do your part to reduce your water consumption by at least 25%.
household usage.
Reduce Replace old toilets with
a low-flow toilet. Put a brick
in your toilet’s tank to displace
water and use less water per
flush. Flush only when
necessary.
Toilets use
1.6 gallons/flush
3.5 – 7 gallons/flush
Washers use
25 gallons/load
40 gallons/load
Reduce Only run a full load, or
match water level to load size.
Re-use your towels to cut down
on use. Re-route grey water for
garden irrigation.
Faucets use
1 gallons/minute
over 2 gallons/minutes
Reduce Install aerators on faucets
to limit the flow of water. Rinse
fruits and vegetables in a pot of
water, and re-use the water to
water house plants. Use less dish
soap when washing dishes to
require less rinsing.
Other uses
Bathtubs
36 gallons/bath
72 gallons/bath
Reduce Take a short shower
rather than a bath. Fill tub half
way or less. Bathe young
children together.
Dishwashers
6 gallons/cycle
16 gallons/cycle
Reduce Use a dish washer rather
than wash dishes by hand. Only
run the dishwasher when it’s full.
it’s working
California’s urban water suppliers have exceeded the statewide
conservation goal of 25% with a cumulative savings over the last
3 months of 611,566 acre-feet, or 28.7% less water as compared
to the same time in 2013. —
