Our delayed winter was nice at first. The fall colors persisted and I never really used my heavy winter coat. But dreaming of a white Christmas turned into dreaming for a white anything. By mid-December I felt worried, by January it became fear and anxiety, and by February, hopelessness. We missed winter this year.
According to Utah’s Department of Natural Resources 95% of Utah’s water comes from snowpack. As of February, 94% of the state was in drought.
Another year of drought means that individuals, communities, cities and counties need to start speaking up and acting to conserve water in a long-term approach. It’s time we treat water as the finite resource it is.
As a Utah State student studying conservation and sustainability systems, I’d like to share a few ideas.
One thing you can do is replace nonfunctional lawn areas with native plant gardens. Choose water-wise plants that you like to create lush, beautiful areas. You can receive funding and ideas through Slow the Flow and the Utah Water Pollinator Program.
Another solution is to collect grey water and use it to water your landscape. Grey water comes from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks and laundry washing machines. By using bio-friendly cleaners you can divert this water to safely use. Information about installation and maintenance of a grey water system can be found on USU’s website.
If you don’t have landscaping or are unable to make the switch now, you could consider filling up a watering can as you warm up water in the sink or shower, turn off running water if not in use and avoid dumping clean water down the sink and instead repurpose it.
As you make these small changes, talk about it! Demonstrate water saving practices in your families, with friends and strangers — and talk about why.
Advocate to your local governments for long-term water saving solutions, slower rates of development and more resources to reduce local water usage.
Rachel Jefferson, Logan