Brian Minter: Conserving water has never been more important

Almost every activity consumes water to some degree, and water is becoming more scarce, due to climate change, human activity and population growth.

Author of the article:

Brian Minter

When you water, try to keep the water at soil level and off plant foliage. Photo by Minter Country Garden /PNG

The next time you turn on a water tap, shower faucet, garden hose or dishwasher, or flush a toilet, pause a moment to think about a precious resource — potable water — that is connected to all these activities.

To put it in perspective, about 97 per cent of earth’s water is the salt water in our seas and oceans. Approximately two per cent is frozen, leaving only one per cent available for drinking, commercial and industrial use, farming and all other water consumption.

A leaky faucet, depending upon the pipe size, can drip up to 100 gallons of water a day. Leaving taps running, while brushing our teeth, can waste up to give gallons. A five-minute shower can use 15 to 25 gallons, and a 10-minute shower can go through 40 gallons. A simple flush of a toilet can use about 3.5 gallons of water.

If you drink milk, a cow has consumed four gallons of water to produce just one gallon of milk. If you drive a gas-powered vehicle, it has taken 13 gallons of water to produce one gallon of gasoline. A long-distance flight may use water equivalent to 1,700 standard toilet flushes.

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These numbers are sobering. Almost every activity consumes water to some degree, and water is becoming more scarce, due to climate change, human activity and population growth. The good news is that we can have some control over our water consumption.

With longer, drier spells throughout the year now, we can’t always rely on rain to help us out. Learning how to water your plants properly is critical to their long-term success. Photo by Minter Country Garden /PNG

I learned some interesting facts about water use in the Vancouver region, courtesy of Greg Valou, who works in media relations with Metro Vancouver. He pointed out that in this region, the long-range projections are for longer and drier summers and reduced winter snowpacks, potentially resulting in limited spring runoffs and reduced levels in water reservoirs.

I was surprised to hear, that in the last 20 years, per capita water use has declined. Valou credits water conservation efforts, like summer outdoor water restrictions promoted by both municipal and regional governments. Local communities must also be given credit for adhering to water use guidelines.

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With population growth almost certainly expected in the Vancouver area, the current use of 390 billion litres of water each year is projected to grow to over 600 billion litres by 2120. This breaks down to 270 litres per day for individual water consumption. When you add in commercial and institutional uses, it bumps the consumption level up to about 450 litres per day.

While indoor water use remains fairly consistent year-round, outdoor water use usually increases by 50 per cent in late spring, summer and early fall. During this time, most households use approximately 60 per cent of their water outdoors and 40 per cent indoors.

I was curious about how we use water indoors, and Valou provided the following breakdown: 24 per cent for toilets; 20 per cent for showers; 19 per cent for faucets; 17 per cent for washers; 12 per cent for leaky plumbing; three per cent for baths; one per cent for dishwashers and four per cent for other activities.

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There are many lovely, drought tolerant plants that can be added to your garden to ease watering needs. Photo by Minter Country Garden /PNG

With the arrival of summer, it’s timely to consider how to use a minimum amount of water while still enjoying a great garden. It all starts with our soils. By working in, deep down, lots of organic matter, like composted manures and sea soil, you will find that the roots of your plants will follow, and once established, they will require less water. The same is true of your containers. To minimize watering, try to use larger containers that have a critical mass of soil and organic matter. Try not to add fillers, like Styrofoam chips, into your soil.

When you water, focus on the root zones of your plants, and water less frequently. You must, however, water thoroughly and deeply. By using soaker hoses and drip systems, you can target the soil and your plants’ root systems, not watering the foliage, empty rows or sidewalks. But a word of caution: these forms of irrigation often do not penetrate deeply, so check the soil to make sure the moisture is getting down to the actual roots.

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Always try to water in the morning when the temperature is on the rise. All plants, including grass, use water more efficiently during the day. When watered in the evening, all plants transpire away a good deal of that water overnight. In summertime, larger trees transpire 150 to 200 gallons of water night after night.

Try to look for more drought-tolerant plants that thrive, once established, in both heat and drier situations. This is important for both sunny and shady areas.

Today, many nurseries are constructing reservoirs to capture rainwater during the fall, winter and early spring seasons to be used for irrigation during the summer. Rain barrels and smaller reservoirs connected to our eavestroughs can provide an excellent source of water for our gardens.

Metro Vancouver has some good guidelines on how to conserve water, while still enjoying all our outdoor activities. Check metrovancouver.org/services/water for helpful information on how to save water and be more water conscious.

Water is precious, and in today’s fast-changing world, we need to conserve water and use it wisely.