Water
About Water
Here in the United States, threats to our water supplies are exacerbated by urban and agricultural runoff, pesticide and toxic pollution, clearcutting of forests, and by overconsumption of aquifers, rivers and streams.
Recent federal proposals to relax Clean Water standards, including allowing increases of mercury pollution from power plants while reducing funding to domestic and international water conservation and pollution-prevention measures are only exacerbating the problem at home and abroad.
Read MoreWorld Water Day
Like so many environmental programs, including our own parent organization Green Cross International, World Water Day owes its origin to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992. The United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March of each year as the World Day for Water.
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What You Can Do
Water Less
- Fix leaky faucets and toilets (A small leak from a faucet can waste 50 gallons of water a day and a leaky toilet can waste 260 gallons a day.)
- Always wash full loads of clothes and dishes. (Washing machines use 30 to 60 gallons of water for the wash cycle)
- Install high efficiency showerheads, faucets and toilets. (High efficiency showerheads, which cost about $15, can reduce water use by 50%. Water efficient toilets use 50 to 80% less water.)
- Water lawns and gardens in the evening or early in the morning to avoid excessive evaporation. (On average, about 35% of household water goes to tending yards)
- Replant your yard with native wildflowers, shrubs, grasses and groundcovers.(Native plants are less-water intensive especially in arid climates)
- Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly and carefully. (Residential use of pesticides accounts for about 8% of all pesticide applications. Urban runoff accounts for about 14% of common water pollution and just over half of that is due to residential use of fertilizers).