23 Jul Fight Droughts Save Water

If you live in the state of California then you know that rain is an uncommon act of Mother Nature. This lack of precipitation in the state results in what is commonly known as a drought. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a drought is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall that results in a shortage of water. While small droughts around the state are common, statewide multi-year droughts are pretty infrequent.

According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, the current drought in California impacts about 34,564,000 people; this accounts for almost 93% of the state’s population. With such a large impact on the number of people a drought effects, you may be wondering what some of the repercussions of a drought are – take a peek below to learn more about how a drought can impact you and your family.

• Due to a lack of water, animals and plants will die. However, animals will try to survive by migrating away from a specific area in order to find suitable water and food resources.
• Without rainfall, bodies of water such as lakes, creeks, and ponds dry out. This also results in the death of aquatic life and vegetation.
• It may sound strange, but soil needs water to remain fertile. Without it, the quality of the soil is reduced and kills vital soil organisms. Due to a low quality of soil, farmers experience low crop production and the cost of food to the consumer will increase.

The list above is not comprehensive. If you want to see a more thorough list of the negative impacts of a drought, click here. With the harsh realities of a drought looming, we want to provide you with a few simple tips and tricks to conserve water in your home and neighborhood.

• Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.
• Take shorter showers.
• Replace water fixtures with more efficient and water saving options such as a low-flow toilet or a Water Sense rated dishwasher.
• Wait to run the dishwasher and washing machine until they are full.
• Water your plants in the morning.
• Fix any plumbing leaks within your home.

The average American uses about 80-100 gallons of water each day. By following along and participating in the simple steps mentioned above, you and your family can help decrease its water usage and help conservation efforts.