Dear Valued Reader,
A recent article highlighted a remarkable success story from Los Angeles: the city has managed to decrease its water usage despite a growing population. This achievement stems from a profound shift towards a conservation-oriented culture.
This transformation wasn’t accidental. It involved a mix of straightforward improvements, like better plumbing, alongside significant changes in societal norms, public policy, and political will. A 2024 survey revealed that a staggering 90 percent of Southern Californians believe in daily water conservation, regardless of drought conditions. This shows how deeply ingrained these new habits have become.
Inspired by Los Angeles’s progress, we asked our readers nationwide about their own water-saving efforts and their thoughts on this approach. Over 500 individuals shared their invaluable perspectives.
Why Is Water Conservation So Important?
Last autumn, New York City faced its first drought warning in two decades, a stark reminder of our vulnerability to dry conditions and the accompanying risk of wildfires. As one Manhattan resident, Daniel Cortez, noted, “New York tends to take water for granted. The 2024 drought should be a clear signal that our water supply isn’t limitless, and even our forests are now susceptible to burning.”
Beyond immediate concerns, water conservation plays a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions. As Ashlynn Stillwell, a civil and environmental engineering professor, explains, “Any water we conserve is also energy conserved.” The processes of treating, transporting, and heating water are all incredibly energy-intensive.
In the Northeast, excessive water use has led to dried-up rivers, causing severe ecological damage like widespread fish die-offs. Shimon Anisfeld, a Yale instructor and author of the book “Water Management,” emphasizes, “We all need water, but we must use it responsibly. By reducing our consumption, even slightly, we can protect the delicate ecological balance of our river systems.”
So, what can we do to cut back on water use? Here are some excellent places to start.
Evaluate Your Home’s Water Efficiency
An excellent first step is to conduct a home water audit. This not only helps you identify where most water is being consumed but can also pinpoint any hidden leaks.
Since the U.S. adopted national standards in 1992, water-efficient fixtures and appliances—such as toilets, showerheads, and washing machines—have become increasingly common and have significantly improved over the years. The potential for further savings is immense: a 2017 report from the Natural Resources Defense Council estimated that if every household upgraded to the highest-efficiency devices available today, indoor water use could decrease by an additional 35% or more.
In areas prone to combined sewer overflow, timing your appliance use strategically can help prevent pollution. Many cities, like the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, even offer alert systems to help residents adjust their water usage during critical periods and avoid overflows.
Extend Conservation Efforts Outdoors
Outdoor water consumption places a significant burden on our precious water resources. However, effective solutions for eco-friendly landscaping can vary depending on your region. In arid climates, replacing traditional lawns with drought-tolerant plants is crucial. In areas with more consistent rainfall, simply allowing your turf lawn to naturally brown during the summer might be enough.
Dan Wiitala, from water-rich Upper Michigan, shared his family’s long-standing commitment: “We decided long ago to never use a drop of water for lawn watering on our Lake Superior property.” This year, he’s taking it a step further by planting native vegetation, allowing it to “take over, more or less.”
Shreya Ramachandran, a college student from Northern California, implemented a gray-water system at her family’s home, using water from the dishwasher and washing machine to irrigate trees and shrubbery. She even founded a nonprofit, the Grey Water Project, to promote this innovative recycling method.
Professor Stillwell highlights another benefit: rain barrels. They not only help alleviate local drainage issues and prevent sewer overflows but also provide a free water source. “I haven’t used my outdoor faucet to water my garden all year because I’ve used my rain barrel that is helping mitigate flooding in my city,” she noted.
Simple Daily Actions That Make a Big Difference
Many readers emphasized that even small, everyday habits can collectively lead to substantial water savings:
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Taking shorter and less frequent showers.
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Collecting and reusing excess running water, such as while waiting for the shower to warm up or rinsing fruits and vegetables in the sink.
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Turning off the tap while shaving or brushing your teeth.
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Flushing only solid waste.
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Operating dishwashers and washing machines only when they are completely full.
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Scraping, rather than rinsing, dishes before loading them into the dishwasher.
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Washing your car with a bucket of water instead of a hose, or opting for carwashes that actively recycle water.
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Using a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks and driveways.
These individual actions “can also model behavioral change for others, and that’s where that can start to snowball,” Stillwell wisely points out. “While it might feel like, ‘I’m just one person, what can I do?’ When you multiply that by several million, we get somewhere.”
As a publication famously stated six decades ago, amidst concerns about dwindling reservoir levels, “Saving Water Is Game Any Number Can Play.”
— Anna Diamond
Revisiting: Resilience in the Face of Water Extremes
Water availability is often a story of extremes: from severe droughts to destructive storms and floods. This variability creates ongoing challenges for communities trying to balance immediate needs with long-term resilience strategies. Our Headway initiative launched in 2021 with an exploration of efforts to redevelop East River Park in Lower Manhattan. The goal was to protect New York City’s coastline from flooding, but it sparked debate among neighbors who had different priorities, including the preservation of the park’s mature trees.
Today, the first phase of the East River Park redesign is nearing completion, and Wagner Park on Manhattan’s west side has also been transformed as part of this coastal resilience project. Michael recently revisited both sites, reflecting on the progress made and why genuine, lasting solutions often remain elusive. — Matt Thompson
The Headway initiative is supported by grants from the Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors acting as a fiscal sponsor. The Woodcock Foundation also funds Headway’s public square. It’s important to note that these funders have no influence over the selection or editorial process of stories and do not review them before publication. The Times maintains complete editorial control over the Headway initiative.