Drought and Water Conservation

The average household uses 350 gallons of water a day. This adds up to 127,400 gallons annually. That is a lot of water! When you think about the size of an average town, it is no wonder that drought situations can cause alarm for water utility and governmental agencies. Understanding the severity of drought and doing your part to conserve water can really make an impact on your local water supply.

There are four stages to most drought situations. In stage one, the government will explain the shortage situation to its citizens and the actions it will take to help reduce water usage. Often educational brochures, mailings, meetings, and classes on water conservation will be offered. Up to ten percent shortage is considered a stage one drought.

Stage two often begins with the government mandating citizen conservation. Water levels have dropped to twenty percent shortages. Warnings are issued about the severity of the drought conditions and educational campaigns are continued. Sometimes governments will place restrictions on watering lawns or other outdoor water use at this stage.

When the water shortages drop to thirty-five percent, the emergency third stage is triggered. Rationing programs based on a per capital or household basis may be put into effect. The government might institute other requirements such as low-flow shower heads or ultra-low flush toilets. Pool covers for all public pools are required and water becomes a main topic in newspapers and governmental meetings. Emergency Drought Plans that the government has written may go into effect or water may be bought from other sources if available.

Stage four is the critical stage when water levels drop to fifty percent or higher. The mandatory conservation methods used in stage three intensify as the government usually begins monitoring to ensure citizen compliance with reductions. No water is allowed for outdoor usage and rationing is restricted as much as possible. Many governments have plans in place to try and minimize the effects of drought on the general population as well as prevent erosion and conserve runoff to help prevent drought situations. If everyone would change just a few of their habits to help conserve water, it would make a lasting impact to reduce drought problems in every state.

For more information about drought and what you can do, please visit www.centralbasin.org.