National Groundwater Awareness Week is March
8-14! Groundwater Awareness Week spotlights one of
the world’s most important resources—groundwater. Groundwater is the water that soaks into the
soil from rain and other precipitation and moves downward to fill cracks and
other openings in beds of rocks and sand. Approximately half of the American population
depends on groundwater for its drinking water supply—reason enough to act to conserve
and protect groundwater. Americans are some of the
largest users of water, per capita, in the world. In the United States,
Americans use 79.6 billion gallons of groundwater every day — the equivalent of
2,923 - 12 oz. cans for every man, woman, and child in the nation.
During National Groundwater Awareness
Week educate yourself and others what we can do each and every day to conserve
and protect groundwater. The following
are a just a few steps you can take to get you started!
1.
Never pour water down the drain when
there may be another use for it
2.
Repair dripping faucets and toilets;
one drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons a year
3.
Retrofit household faucets by
installing aerators with flow restrictors
4.
Choose appliances that are water-
and/or energy-efficient, such as low-flow toilets
5.
Don't run a faucet when not using the
water, such as while brushing teeth
6.
Only run the dishwasher when it is
fully loaded
7.
Operate clothes washers only when full,
or set the water level to match the load size
8.
Plant native and/or drought-resistant
grasses, ground cover, shrubs, and trees
9.
Dispose of hazardous household wastes
at an appropriate waste disposal facility or drop-off
10.
Reduce the amount of
"stuff" you use and reuse what you can. Recycle paper, plastic,
cardboard, glass, aluminum and other materials.
Visit www.groundwater.org for more information about
how you can make a difference! And,
share what you and your community will be doing to celebrate National
Groundwater Awareness Week!
