In order to sustain our planet's population explosion, we must immediately conserve and preserve our precious water resources. To achieve these objectives, we must reduce water consumption in our lawns and landscapes; reduce water consumption indoors; reuse wastewater safely; and replace potentially harmful household chemicals with nontoxic products.

Of the water available for drinking, no matter where you live, on average only 40 percent is suitable to access due to contamination and debris. Homeowners often inappropriately use household chemicals, especially lawn and landscape products. An estimated 60 percent of a municipality's water consumption is attributed to homeowners irrigating their lawn and landscape; they strive (unnecessarily and, in my opinion, irresponsibly) toward manicured, emerald expanses of turfgrass.

In order to sustain our planet's population explosion, we must immediately conserve and preserve our precious water resources. To achieve these objectives, we must reduce water consumption in our lawns and landscapes; reduce water consumption indoors; reuse wastewater safely; and replace potentially harmful household chemicals with nontoxic products.

CONSERVATION
Indoors, we may install install appliances that use low water. Ultra-low flush toilets have become standard in new construction homes and are readily available in home improvement stores for homeowners of resale homes. Washers and dishwashers that consume approximately one-third less water than traditional appliances are becoming more affordable. Retrofits for faucets and shower heads are low-cost augmentations that help to minimize consumption. Outdoors, reusing "gray water" -- wastewater from showers or indoor appliances -- promotes significant savings. Other ways to limit water consumption include:

• Purchase a Shower Coach 5-minute Timer by Niagara Conservation. Average retail price is US$3.
• Hand-wash one load of dishes (or clothing) per week in a large bucket. Use the water to irrigate potted plants indoors and outdoors.
• Make or purchase a rain catchment system. Use the harvested rainwater to irrigate potted plants (indoor/outdoor) and landscape. Visit therainwell.com, aquabarrel.com or starkenvironmental.com for ideas.
• If you have an in-ground irrigation or "sprinkler" system, hire a certified auditor to identify leaks or other deficiencies. Go to irrigation.org and select "Certified Professionals" from the Search drop-down menu. Check the "Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor" box and enter your state or province and country.
• Make any repairs or modifications as suggested by the auditor.
• Water your lawn and landscape a maximum of one inch per week, or 15-20 minutes per zone, once per week. Hand-water potted plants more frequently with harvested rainfall and gray water.
• Eradicate lawn. This is the biggest waster and polluter of water. If this seems a bit radical, remove portions of the lawn in stages.
• Landscape with plants native to your area. When the right plant is chosen for the right place, it should eventually survive on ambient rainfall and without harmful synthetic chemicals.

PRESERVATION
Cleaners, fertilizers, and other household chemicals have severely altered our waterways. One way we can preserve the integrity of our water resources is by converting to nontoxic products such as Seventh Generation or Mrs. Meyers. For most housekeeping tasks -- unclogging drains; removing soap scum; and scrubbing toilets, bathtubs, and sinks, for example -- baking soda and white vinegar work just fine. Opting for organic lawn and landscape products will have an immediate and significant positive impact on water quality. Other tips and products may be found in Co-Op America's Green Pages (coopamerica.org/greenpages) or:
• For indoor products, visit ecoproducts.com or richcatt.com/micronice.htm.
• Outdoors, nobody knows organics better than Howard Garrett the Dirt Doctor. dirtdoctor.com.
• Filter runoff by planting biofilters, or native plants that will naturally "clean" rainfall as it permeates soil and flows into waterways. Check with local native plant societies or Wild Ones organizations for recommendations.

One of the greatest, and perhaps surprising, problems occurring in our waterways is the accumulation of plastic shopping bags. Do your part:
• Use reusable shopping bags made of natural fibers (or recycled fabrics!) reusablebags.com, clothbag.com and greenfeet.com are a few retailers that carry a variety of styles. Or make your own from old clothing!
• Tell the retailers you frequent why you are using these bags and request they impose a fee for customers continuing to use paper or plastic bags.
• Circulate and submit a petition to your mayor about banning single-use bags in local retail and grocery stores: thepetitionsite.com

Threats to water resources are grave but not irreversible. Ominous are limited access, over-consumption and over-contamination. However, simple and cost-conscious changes we make individually can benefit our neighbors as well as ourselves, today and into the future. If we are to survive as a species and planet, it is imperative that we start today; we must guard water resources as if they were gold.

Christy Tinsley-Ilfrey is co-owner and co-founder of NativeDave.com , an award-winning online landscape design firm specializing in native plants and sustainability.  She has taught college-level developmental writing and has been published in magazines and newspapers in Dallas-Ft. Worth.  Contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .