Every Drop Counts

Think of all the ways we use water. Water power is a source of electricity for some homes and businesses. We drink water and wash with it. Farmers use water for their land. Much of the food we eat is either grown with it or caught from it. We use water for recreation. Clean water is essential to our lives.

But water sometimes becomes polluted. Brush your teeth or flush the toilet. The water you used isn’t clean any more. In some places polluted water is released directly back into streams and lakes. This allows the growth of certain harmful bacteria, which can cause disease.

We tackle this problem in several ways. We send polluted water to water treatment plants before releasing it back into the environment. We are trying to use less water in our cities, homes, and businesses and on our farms. If we use water only when we need it, there is less polluted water to clean up.

How Much Water Do We Need?

Approximately 50 percent of the water used every year in very dry states such as Texas goes to watering lawns.

People who own homes in desert regions can lower their water usage by 50 percent if they plant trees and bushes that grow naturally in the area.