Groxie

This the third and final article in a series (here are the first and second parts).

So now we’re all on the same page. Water is damned important, and all over the world we’re failing to protect it adequately. There are many opportunities for you to help. Here are a few ways you can get started.

Take Action with your wallet

Home Improvement

In addition to all those important conservation habits, if you’re in the DIY camp you can save tons of water by tweaking things in your home.

• Install a home water conservation kit for indoors or outdoors. These also make great gifts!
• Use rain barrels for outdoor watering or even toilet water.
• Retrofit the toilet with a dual flush system. There are kits available for the U.S. and for the U.K.
• Install a sink that attaches to the top of the toilet to use the clean water before it moves into the bowl.

Donations

There are tons of organizations doing great work that need our support.
The H2O project challenges individuals and groups to drink only water for a week and donate the money saved to help drill wells around the world. They also have a large list of Christian organizations that are working on the water crisis. Also, for those friends who are impossible to shop for, you can make a gift to a water aid organization in their name.

In the U.K. WaterAid has a number of ways you can help them out financially. Payroll giving is something that hasn’t really caught on yet, but it can be easier financially than giving after taxes.

One of the most innovative solutions I have seen so far is from PlayPumps. They install a merry-go-round at a school in Sub-Saharan Africa. The playground equipment is connected to a well drilled into the aquifer below, and as the chldren play, water is pumped up into a nearby water tower.

Food and Drink

Food and drink take different amounts of water to raise or process. Eating lower on the foodchain uses less water. Even if you’re not ready to take the plunge into vegetarianism or veganism, eliminating a few meals’ worth of meat will make a difference. I was sad to learn that making beer is such a water-intensive process, but I guess it’s just another good reason to start brewing beer at home!

Volunteering and Activism

Get involved locally—check out the EPA’s Surf Your Watershed site to find out what’s going on in your area. Also, if you’re near a river or lake, there might already be a protection group in place—seek them out and offer a hand. The national group American Rivers has lots of good links to regional groups.

Have a dinner party or a dessert and coffee gathering at your home. You can invite a local water advocate to speak, or Water4People will send you a free presentation kit to use. If you’re feeling particularly ambitious you could charge a small fee for the event as a fundraiser.

You can organize a Watershed Protection Training for your community. The Clean Water Fund will help arrange for a speaker to come talk about ways to improve watershed protection, and they even have fliers made out for you.

Have any other great ideas? Please share! Find something that you’ll enjoy doing, and get involved!