What to Do When the Water Runs Out

Here in middle Georgia, plentiful water is a thing of the past. We don’t water lawns or wash cars anymore. We are as skimpy with our water use as possible. I have never been a water hog but I have learned ways to conserve water that I hadn’t thought of since I had to draw water from a well. We don’t water lawns, and if someone who has to watch their grass and shrubbery dry up, goes a little batty, and waters it anyway. They had best be prepared to pay a fine.

We haven’t washed a car in months. We did go once this summer and paid a Car Wash that recycles their water. The other Car Washes have been closed down. Those people have lost jobs, and the landscapers are having it just as rough. Who needs a landscaper in the middle of a drought?

When I take a shower, I set a pan under the faucet, and catch the water while I am adjusting the warmth. I use that water to wash vegetables, counters, and dishes. I never use the dishwasher anymore. It takes to much water. I have to clean up the kitchen stove and counters anyway, so I might as well use the water to wash the dishes. Then I water my plants on the deck with the dish water.

I hang our clothes back in the closet, and we wear them again two or three times before putting them in the laundry basket. I try to get by on two loads of laundry a week. I wipe up any spills on the bath, and kitchen floors with paper towels and mop less. When I do mop, I use a small amount of water. I am learning how to get by on less and less, and it is amazing how much we can do without if we have to.

We could do with so much less, and save our vanishing resources. I have also started taking my bags to buy groceries, and walking in our apartment complex, rather than driving to the park. I know there are many more ways I can save, and I am doing so as I learn. I would like to see everyone using less and less of everything. I know we can do it, and we might have no choice in years to come, most certainly our children wont.