Journal 4, Wateer Usage

Itemized Household Usage:

Shower & bath: 60 gallons

Toilet: 24 gallons

Sink: 8 gallons

Dishes by hand: 15 gallons

Dishwasher: 0 gallons

Laundry: 8 gallons

Lawn: 0 gallons

Outside & pool: 0 gallons

Daily: 115 gallons

Weekly: 805 gallons

Monthly: 3,220 gallons

Yearly: 41,860 gallons

 

I am not sure if this is a good amount for a family of five or not.  I feel I try to do things to conserve water all the time.  I have taught my kids that it is wasteful to leave the water on while brushing their teeth or washing hands, I tell them they should only flush if its gross or after a few times, I use a little bit of water to wet dishes and sponge and wash whole sink before turning on the water low and quickly rinse (even thought I have a dishwasher, I hardy use it), I have energy efficient appliances and we use rain water to water our lawn. 

 

I believe that everyone should use water as wisely and sparingly as possible.  This is hard for a lot of people because like electricity, its so easy to just flip a switch or turn on a faucet.  Having resources this convenient makes it hard to remember that they won't be here forever and we should be careful how we use them and not to waste them.  Maybe because I grew up really poor and we actually had to pay attention to the water and electric bill, maybe it is my age, but I tend to be careful of any type of waste including water and food.  I also try and tech my children to be mindful of waste as well.  I am sure I could do better, we all could, but I feel I do the best I can without being too "primitive."