Water Conservation

One Minute of Water

This past summer, I attended a month long program during which we were not allowed to use more than 1 minute of water per day. We relied on rainfall, so of course, freshwater was scarce. Even if just one of us was loose with this rule, we would all eventually have had to resort to sea showers. I remember coming home and instinctually rushing to turn off faucets immediately after I rinsed soap from my hands and only using as much water as I needed to clean my toothbrush. Water seemed (and still does seem!) sacred, and I was noticing how often we waste it when we think there’s an unlimited supply. It’s important that we all learn where our water comes from to understand why we should use it sustainably.  

Where Does Your Connecticut Water Come From? 

In Connecticut, most of our water comes from ground or surface water sources, and in order to keep a steady amount, we must have frequent and routine precipitation.  Pat Bresnahan, former associate director of the University of Connecticut’s Water Resources Institute stated it perfectly: “it’s kind of the difference between having a steady job where you get a paycheck every week… an being a consultant where you may have a feast or family in your cash flow… with climate change it may be something very similar.” Connecticut’s unpredictable weather patterns pose a potential threat to our access to clean, fresh water. 

Navy Showers

A great way to practice your water conservation habits is to take navy showers! Navy showers usually use about 1 minute of less of water; all you have to do is turn off the water while lathering, and only turn it back on only when you need to rinse. 

The average American shower takes about 8 minutes and uses roughly 17 gallons of water. Imagine if we all took 2 minute showers instead, collectively, we could save more than 4,234 gallons of water. Even if you don’t want to commit to this, simply shortening your shower time makes a difference, too! 

Satija, Neena. "Water shortages come home to Connecticut." theCTmirror, 12 Feb. 2013, ctmirror.org/2013/02/12/water-shortages-come-home-connecticut/.