We all know that 70% of Earth is covered with water. However, only 1% is available for use. Despite many attempts to save water, an average person uses almost 88 gallons of water each day.
Besides, water managers from all around the world expect shortages to occur during the next couple of years. So, what can we do to save water and protect water sources? It’s the problem that, hopefully, WaterSense will be able to solve.
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What is WaterSense?
WaterSense is a voluntary organization sponsored by EPA. It is related to water-saving products and resources that help with water-saving. You can find the WaterSense label on numerous products, but what does it mean?
If a product has a WaterSense label, it primarily means that it’s water-efficient. These products use at least 20% less water, save energy, and perform better than casual units. Additionally, the organization partners with various manufacturers and retailers to bring WaterSense to many communities.
Also, they are gradually transforming the marketplace for products and services while trying to reduce water waste. The main vision of the organization is to create global consciousness in people and help them reduce water use.
Accomplishments of WaterSense
Over the years, WaterSense has made a significant impact on the source water saving in the US. For example, by the end of 2019, the Americans have saved around 4.5 trillion gallons of water. It’s over $85 billion only in water bills. Also, WaterSense-labeled products have saved almost 530 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.
Source Water Protection
Source water includes water that comes from natural sources, such as rivers and lakes. These are the sources that provide water to public drinking water supplies. But first, let’s answer the basic question – why protect source water?
Why Protect Source Water?
First, by protecting natural water sources, we decrease their risk of being exposed to contaminated water. It directly reduces treatment costs and may avoid the need to build complex treatment facilities. Also, it affects the water quality for wildlife and recreational use and affects the total number of water supplies worldwide.
How to Protect Source Water?
There are multiple activities that can be done to protect the source water. They mostly differ by the type of source that they protect. For example, an activity might include streambank stabilization, which directly reduces sedimentation. Another example is developing emergency response plans and educating local industry and citizens. Also, in some cases, it’s useful to limit certain activities near the source water area.
What is The Purpose of EPA?
We mentioned that WaterSense is sponsored by EPA, which is an organization you must have heard of. EPA works with states to maintain drinking water quality, through the “multi-barrier approach”. It establishes certain barriers to cut or drop the impacts of natural and human threats. It includes selecting the best available drinking water source, protecting it from contamination, using an effective treatment, and preventing loss of water quality in the distribution system.
Less Known Facts About Water Use
Did you know that among all the water people use indoors, more than 50% goes for bathrooms? That’s why the usage of WaterSense products in the bathroom is essential. Also, statistically, almost 10% of Americans have easy-to-fix leaks that waste over 100 gallons of water every day. Inspecting your water lines now and then might save your monthly water bills.
Additionally, residential outdoor water use, such as irrigation, consumes around 9 billion gallons of water each day. Also, an interesting fact is that a urinal in a public place, approximately, gets flushed around 18 times a day. The wasted water greatly depends on the quality of bathroom toilets and the amount of water needed for every flush.
What Can You Do To Save Water?
At first, replacing your showerhead with WaterSense models can save up to 5 gallons of water while you shower. Moreover, replacing old faucets with WaterSense models can save up to 7000 gallons of water each year. On top of that, replacing a clock timer with a WaterSense-labeled model can save you up to 9,000 gallons annually.
Faucets with the WaterSense label are around 30% more efficient, and still, they provide an optimal flow. If your home earns a WaterSense label feature, it will save lots of water in the years to come. It will affect your wallet while having a positive impact on the environment.
A Few Words in the End
Unnecessary water wasting happens every day around the globe. It doesn’t look so terrifying right now, but the damage is increasing each year. In only a couple of years, the world might experience serious shortages that would affect all the people on the planet. However, saving water is not difficult – it only takes every one of us to do our part of the job. Buying WaterSense-labeled products is the first thing to do!
