The United States is a wonderful country that’s rich in many diverse resources, but there are often environmental challenges that tag along for the ride. Water quality and water scarcity are major challenges these days. It’s improving in certain areas due to increased efforts. For example, here in Texas, Take Care of Texas is a statewide campaign that encourages Texans to make simple lifestyle and habit changes that will improve the environment. After coming out of a major drought the past couple of years, we can see how important it is that we conserve water.
The Take Care of Texas campaign web site provides lots of tips and information that can prepare you to do your part no matter where you live, so see below for some great water saving ideas:
- Cut down on yard watering—do it only as needed and no more than once a week
- Collect rainwater for landscape use—it can save you a lot of money
- Cut the amount of faucet water used in half by simply installing aerators
- Toilet and faucet leaks can waste TONS of water each year—get them fixed!
- Replace old toilets with more water-efficient models to save up to 4,000 gallons of water a year
- Reduce water consumption by 25 to 60 percent by installing water-efficient plumbing fixtures
- Wait to do laundry until you have full loads—it can save more than 3,400 gallons of water a year
Here at Southwest, to conserve water we are using new irrigation techniques at our Headquarters and instituting a green dry cleaning process for our new Evolve interior. Last year, we also began a native landscaping initiative at Headquarters to decrease the amount of water we consume from landscaping and are utilizing other methods of water conservation such as rezoning our sprinkler system and using decomposed granite as a grass substitute. You can read more about our energy and resource conservation efforts in the 2011 Southwest Airlines One Report™.
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and try some of these simple, yet impactful ways you can make a difference in your house and your community! Whether it’s something small or big, there’s always something you can do to make a difference.
Have another great way to conserve water or use resources wisely? Let us know by e-mailing green@wnco.com or by commenting below. DING! You are now free to be Green.
