In the US, residential water use peaks during the summertime, mainly because of outdoor water use at home from watering lawns. Maintaining a green lawn can be a massive drain of water – irrigating a 1,000 square foot lawn with just a half an inch of water takes about 330 gallons. Other outdoor water use includes washing the car and filling the swimming pool.
Outdoor Water Uses at Home
Lawn Care Uses a Lot of Water
In some urban and suburban areas in the Southwest US, outdoor water use at home can reach up to a whopping 60 percent of all home water use. This is a serious concern considering the region’s primary water sources like the Colorado River and Sierra Nevada Mountains are already over-allocated and, during times of drought, can be stretched very thin.
Residents of the Southwest aren’t alone, though. Many people across the nation water lawns during dry spells and droughts, drawing from already strained water supplies. This is especially concerning considering that no section of the country is immune from drought or water scarcity and state water managers anticipate water shortages in 40 of 50 states over the next 10 years.
No matter where people live, it’s important to think about outdoor water conservation, especially in lawn care. A well-managed yard not only uses less water, it can also significantly cut down on downstream water pollution from using too much fertilizer and pesticides.
Swimming Pools Can Waste a Lot of Water
Swimming pools are major outdoor water users. The average pool takes about 18,000 gallons of water to fill (find out how to calculate pool volumes) and an uncovered pool can lose thousands of gallons a month from evaporation in arid areas. Over the course of a year, that could add up to 30,000 gallons (and a high water bill) if it is refilled each year. If a pool seems like it is losing a lot of water, it might have a leak (here’s an easy way to find out).
Covered pools save 30 to 50 percent of the water that would otherwise evaporate and 50 to 70 percent of the heating energy lost from a heated pool that isn’t covered. Heated pools use even more water, because the energy used to heat a pool would most likely come from a thermoelectric power plant. These plants withdraw billions of gallons of water each year across the US for their cooling systems. Covered pools save water and energy, and they save dollars, too.
Car Washes Use Less Water than Garden Hoses
Washing a car can help preserve its life, but it takes a lot of water – about 100 gallons, on average – to get a car clean if it’s washed at home with a hose. In addition, the accumulated dirt and grease that comes off a car goes into gutters and can end up in local waterways. There are better options – automatic and full-service car washes use less water (15 to 60 gallons) and anything that comes off a car will go down a drain and into a wastewater treatment plant. Some car washes even recycle their water. The best car wash in terms of water use is a self-service car wash. They use the least amount of water because of their high-pressure hoses and easy-to-turn-off pistol grips.
Cars use water in other ways besides car washes. It takes a lot of water to make gasoline – approximately one to 2.5 gallons of water for one gallon of gasoline – which means that unnecessary driving trips waste water. Instead, ditch the car and carpool, walk, ride a bike or take public transportation.
Remember: Saving water saves energy, too! A little bit of planning can curb outdoor water waste, and save both energy and money.