An issue that Austin apartments and surrounding regional areas are facing is a lack of water. The central Texas drought has left our landscapes dry and resources scarce this summer. Central Texas has experienced the most devastating wildfires in its history that have destroyed over 1,500 homes and have further depleted lake levels from extinguishing the flames, causing further assault to injury.
That being said, conserving water is very important for those who live in central Texas, and especially for those who live in central Austin apartments. Lack of water has affected the surrounding ecosystems and will leave long term affects on the water supply, the local produce and the regional meat available for months or even years to come. If you live in high density areas, you can expect rolling blackouts and water restrictions to impact your region during the severe drought period.
Find out how much water you are using by consulting a water usage calculator. You can do your part to save water and help your community by actively making a few small changes to your daily routines.
Things you can do today:
- Wash full loads of dishes in the dishwasher and do not rinse dishes before loading to save about 20-50 gallons of water
- Turn off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth and save about 3 gallons of water
- Take a 10 minute shower instead of a bath and use only 15-25 gallons instead of about 70 (with a low pressure showerhead)
- Shorten your shower! Every minute saves about 150 gallons of water a month
- Wash produce in a bowl of water instead of running under the faucet to save 1-3 gallons of water
- Use one drinking glass for water per day (or even a few days) to cut down on the amount of dishes that need to be washed
- Defrost food in the refrigerator instead of using running sink water
- Share tips with your friends and neighbors!
