Water Conservation

I was at a meeting yesterday with the Department of Environmental Quality and part of our discussion focused on last year's drought and the pending forecast for another drought year. According to reports from DEQ, The long-range seasonal outlook calls for below normal precipitation for the remainder of the Commonwealth through May 2008. The relatively wet period from February 1 until February 21 had very little effect on accumulated precipitation deficits across the Commonwealth. We in the energy field firmly believe that water issues, use, and conservation will be our next great battle as we continue to fight for resources globally. Remember one of Stafford county's resevoirs completely drying up last year?! Who knows what impact this year's drought will have on our area.

Here are some water conservation tips for all of you:
- Take short showers
- Don't let the water run when brushing teeth or shaving
- Only wash dishes and laundry when FULL LOADS
- Install low-flow showerheads (A low-flow showerhead can save a family of four as much as
3,000 gallons of water a month!)
- Install Aerators in sink faucets (By installing aerators in your home, an average household will
be able to save more than 500 gallons each year!)
- Purchase a rain bucket to capture rainwater runoff from your rooftop and use this water for
your landscaping

Personal Tip: Because of last year's mandatory water restriction, one thing that Stacey and I did in the shower was filled a bucket while the water was warming up. No sense in letting all that cold water go to waste. We used that water for our house plants and outdoor landscaping. Given the recent forecast for how this summer may look, we will be doing that again. I encourage you to do your part - conserve water where you can!