Today is World Water Day! According to Pamela R. Turner, Ph.D. in Consumer Economics and Housing, the average person uses 60 gallons of water a day and wastes more than 9 gallons a day through household leaks. Only one percent of the world’s water is suitable for drinking and agriculture so Turner says we should all work to help conserve.

“For me, [saving water] is one of the easiest things you could do to feel like you’re doing your part in the world of environmental friendliness. It’s one of the easiest things anyone of any age can do,” Turner says.

Clean drinking water is a worldwide issues but is especially prevalent in Georgia because many people get drinking water from wells says Turner.

“Sanitary, clean water is a worldwide issue. In Georgia, we have a lot of people who drink out of wells. Well water and contamination is a issue.  The issue with well water is that people do not test their well water. The biggest contaminate is E. Coli.  We’ve had radium in water. We’ve had uranium in water. There’s an area of Georgia that has high arsenic levels. There’s no regulations to test well water. It’s up to the homeowner to test their water,” Turner says.

In order to test their well water, homeowners should go to the local county extension office or local health department to find out what they can do to bring a sample in.

Here a few tips on how to make every drop count:

Turn Off Your Faucet

You can decrease the amount of water you use by turning off running water. You can gallons by turning the faucet off when brushing your teeth and shaving. As you wait for the water in the shower or sink to warm up, collect it in a bucket and it clean or water plants.

Use Your Dishwasher

Believe it or not, using a dishwasher is more efficient than washing by hand says Turner.

“A lot of us run water and wash one dish at a time rather than putting in the dishwasher. Newer dishwashers are made to clean dishes, you don’t have to wash them before you put them in which people do,” she says.

You can save up to 800 gallons of water a month by only washing dishes when the machine is full as well. The same rule can be applied to washing laundry.

Fix Your Leaks

Leaky faucets are one of the biggest wastes of water. A dripping faucet dripping one drop per second can waste up to 9 gallons per day. Toilets that run all the time should also be fixed to save water.

“Leaks are a huge loss of water in a home and a huge expense for people. We often have dripping faucets we don’t think to fix when we could just add a washer. A toilet that runs all the time is a pretty easy fix,” Turner says.

Don’t Use Plastic Bottles

“Even not drinking bottled water which is a culprit of lots of stuff, helps. Drinking water is good. Drinking water in a reusable container is better,” Turner says.

If you don’t haven’t invested in a reusable container yet or don’t have one with you, you can also reuse a plastic bottle.

For more tips about water conservation visit the UGA Greenway Save Energy & Water page

and Turner’s fact sheet.