By Bonnie White, Member of Creston Climate Action Society
Even though it doesn’t feel much spring like out there in March, it’s never too early to start preparing for the summer season. It’s time to think about your water supply and usage.
I have sure been happy we have been getting some snow in the valley after a dry January and February! We seem to be surrounded by water here in the Kootenays, but is not an endless resource. Locals in Canyon struggled with dry wells last summer during the heatwave. Many areas in the United States have been suffering from years of drought and other environmental changes causing dangerously low water levels. Examples include: California, Nevada, and Arizona. This problem is widespread and becoming worse every year with our changing climate. Lower consistent rainfall levels, increasingly hotter temperatures all year, and overpopulation with its increasing needs and impact are putting a strain on our freshwater sources. There is only so much to go around!
What can one do? Start planning before you have an issue! We can all take steps to lower our general carbon footprint and help lessen our impact on the environment. For tips on how to do so, reference our many past articles on www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca under E-Tips.
Here are some other suggestions:
• Be proactive and try to use less water in general. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, take shorter showers, fix leaky items in your house, use low flow appliances, and teach your kids about preserving water.
• Collect rainwater in barrels to use in the garden.
• Look at installing a grey water collection system on your property. Grey water is the household waste that does not contain sewage, such as water from sinks and washing machines.
• Use environmentally friendly products in your household so your greywater is clean for reuse
• Get rid of your lawn. Instead, grow a garden for food instead or plant a lawn alternative that doesn’t need regular watering (like clover). And let go of the wasteful idea that our lawn needs to be green all summer.
• Follow water restrictions when in place.
• Support the idea of metered water for all to prevent waste.
• Transition your landscaping to a xeriscape garden with plants that require minimal water. Native species are a great addition to elimate the need for watering.
• Mulch everything to preserve soil moisture.
• Install irrigation such as drip or soaker hoses. Overhead watering increases the rate of evaporation.
• Water early in the morning or in the night to further minimize evaporation.
• Find out what your community is doing to protect water waste and ask questions.
• Support farmers who are practising regenerative agriculture techniques.
I hope this gets you started on a path to thinking about your household water use and ways to improve it as well as ways to tread lighter on our planet. We would love to hear your questions, suggestions, or tips that you may be already using. Please like us on Facebook or email us at crestonclimateactionsociety@gmail.com!
READ MORE: E-Tips: Connecting to the Earth through gardening