For class this week I calculated our family’s water footprint at Gracelinks.org.
We are definitely way better than the average American but still have changes we can make. We don’t pay for the amount of water we use, just a flat rate, but I don’t think that should be an excuse to use up natural resources. There are still issues of security regarding our food and water supply so I’ve got a filter to assemble this afternoon. I’ll try to reblog some of the things my classmates have been making.
Water Footprint Calculator
Your total household water use is 3,217 gallons per day.
Your individual water use is 805 gallons per day.
- You do not have any low-flow shower heads in your home. By switching to low-flow shower heads, you can reduce water flow by over 1 gallon per minute.
- You do not have any low-flow toilets in your home. By switching to low-flow toilets, you can reduce your water use up to 2.5 gallons per flush.
- You do not have any low-flow faucets in your home. By switching to low-flow faucets, you can reduce your water flow by 3.5 gallons per minute.
- Based on your response, your household uses over 15 gallons of water per person per day just for the laundry. You may want to consider purchasing an Energy Star clothes washer. Also consider doing your laundry less often and making sure that you only use your washing machine when it’s full. (Dang Fly Lady and her load a day!)
- Based on your response, your household uses more than 1 gallon of water per person per day – which is the national average – for dish washing. You may want to consider purchasing an Energy Star dishwasher and using fewer dishes when you cook and serve meals.
- By riding a bike, using public transit, carpooling or switching to a car with greater fuel efficiency (higher MPG), you can save water (and gasoline).