Ten Things We Can Do to Save Water

By Heather Coburn

Here are the top ten strategies for saving our water and ourselves. They are in no particular order of importance—we must do them all and more if we are to reverse the tide of scarcity, pollution, and corporate control that threatens us today. Each of these could be a whole book in itself, but I will just touch on them here.

Eat Organic Food and Support Local, Organic Agriculture. Organic methods don’t use harsh toxins that pollute the water. Organic farms and gardens emphasize mulch and other soil stewardship practices, which means less erosion and/or salination of the soil, and less runoff and damage to waterways. Local food means shorter distance from farm to table, which translates to less pollution from fossil fuels. If it is difficult to find local organic food, there’s another good reason to grow a garden. Also, see part two for ways to find and meet like-minded people near you.
Reject Corporate Globalization and Control Industrial Water Use. Don’t buy corporate water, and fight the corporate takeover of your local waterways. If they’ve already moved in, kick them out by organizing local coalitions and fighting for local control. We can promote corporate accountability by monitoring industrial pollution levels, interacting with business leaders, and refusing to support wasteful and polluting companies. On a political level, constitutional amendments establishing water as a basic human right and endangered natural resource can protect supplies and ban corporate control. Also, think of the nonhuman species and their needs, and fight companies that threaten nature. If we pay attention and share information, we can create an atmosphere of collective concern and mindful stewardship; a necessary tool in the face of blind and powerful corporate greed.
Regenerate Native Habitats. Healthy riparian zones are essential to long-term water supplies, and with our help, damaged systems can regenerate themselves exponentially faster than if left on their own. Volunteer with a local restoration project to stabilize banks, clean up pollution, and replant native plants. Check the appendix for a list of projects like this, or start a new one in an endangered area near you.
Develop Watershed Stewardship Coalitions. Work together for change. Local watershed management coalitions, made up of scientists, environmentalists, farmers, and other local citizens, can develop long-term, sustainable strategies that include restoration, conservation, and harsh penalties for wasting and polluting water supplies. These coalitions can also work on related issues, like energy, overpopulation, and climate change, and can establish bioregional networks to find and implement solutions.
Use Renewable Energy. Ride a bike instead of driving to work. Invest in solar or passive solar electricity and water-heating devices. Reject dam-based energy, which robs water from connected ecosystems and destroys essential fish habitat.
Eschew Packaging. Processed industrial foods take too much water to produce, package, and distribute. The biggest culprits are sugar, soy, and all types of meat, but anything packaged in paper or plastic caused major water damage before it got to you.
Buy Less Of Everything, And Reuse What You Can. Beyond policy changes and community collaboration, personal choices are the key element to ecological sustainability. The imbedded water costs associated with each of our consumer choices (food, transportation, clothing, building materials, etc.) amounts to over 400 billion gallons each year, in the United States alone. Our culture teaches us to ask, “What can I buy?” Instead, ask yourself, “What can I avoid buying?” When you must buy something, choose recycled materials. Get creative.
Use Water Efficient Appliances Or Get Rid Of Them Altogether. Choose options like front-loading washing machines, and water efficient toilets and showerheads. Fix leaks and drips. Evaluate your electric and water usage and eliminate or downsize any appliances you don’t really need.
Save and Recycle Paper, Glass, and Metals. The pulp and paper industry is the number one polluter of world waterways. Limit your contribution to the oceans of filth they create by insisting on recycled paper and conserving as much as you can. Glass and metal recycling also saves water, but it is best to limit your consumption first. Plastic recycling is a hoax—don’t buy it. All phases of plastic processing cause water pollution, ozone depletion, and cancer. Avoid it.
Establish an Ecological Home Water Cycle. The best way to contribute as much as we can to global water solutions is to design and implement a holistic, personalized water system, at home and in our communities, that includes graywater, rain catchment, and water-efficient agriculture and land-use. By emphasizing sincere stewardship and prudent conservation of this most precious resource, we actualize conservation, teach by example, and gain greater control over our personal supply.

Truly, all of these actions will not only save huge amounts of water, they will also contribute to an overall improvement in the ecological integrity of your life and community. Try not to get overwhelmed though—just do what you can and share what you learn with your community.