by Kym Luttermoser
12. September 2011
Tuesday, September 13 marks the launching of the National Ground Water Association’s (NGWA) first annual “Protect Your Groundwater Day.” According to the NGWA, 95% of all available freshwater comes from underground aquifers. NGWA also points out that most surface water bodies are connected to groundwater, so if you impact one, you impact both. It is important to consider your actions (both at home and at work) to help keep your local groundwater source safe from contamination and also to use the water wisely to help conserve it.
NGWA urges people to ACT to protect their groundwater: that is, to Acknowledge the causes of preventable groundwater contamination, to Consider which causes apply to you, and to Take Action to help prevent groundwater contamination. This is applicable on a personal scale, surely, but also (and with much larger impacts) on a business-wide scale. Preventable groundwater contamination can be caused by a wide range of things, but common causes are improper storage or disposal of hazardous substances, improper use of fertilizers and pesticides, chemical spills, improperly built or maintained septic systems, improperly abandoned wells and poorly sited or constructed water wells. It is good to go through this list on a regular basis (as things change and evolve in your life/business) and take the appropriate steps to make sure you are doing what you can to protect your groundwater.
Another important aspect of protecting groundwater is to conserve it. Per capita, Americans are the largest water users in the world, using 274 gallons of water per person per day. That factors in not just what a person uses personally each day, but also things such as agricultural irrigation for the food that we eat and products that we buy. We can conserve on a personal scale by being mindful of things like how long of a shower we take or remembering to turn off the water when washing dishes. On a business scale, things like installing low water use plumbing fixtures can make a big difference in the amount of water a business uses…and consequently how much they pay for said water!
As with most everything, it seems to come down to the bottom line…how much money can be saved by making these upgrades? The first thought, rarely, is “How can I help conserve groundwater?” It is more likely, “How can I save money?” And though it may be counter-intuitive to pay more money initially for water-saving fixtures, it is easy to calculate how long it will take these fixtures to pay for themselves given the reduction in water use and consequent reduction of the water bill. It’s a win/win situation for groundwater conservation and money conservation! So please, take a moment to think about (and hopefully act on) groundwater conservation this Tuesday. Your aquifer will thank you for it!
