Happy Blog Action Day! Today we all take a moment to gather the cyber world together to create correspondence about a very important issue. The internet is one of the most powerful sources of information and on this day we flex our electronic muscle and bring awareness about an important cause, our drinking water.

Today, take 5 minutes to understand where your fresh water really comes from and how much there actually is. The world contains over 1.4 billion cubic kilometers of water, and only 35 million of that or 2.5% is actually freshwater.

These statistics bring up a very important point. We only have so much water and we only have so much time. Knowing important information about water can help you save precious drinking water for our future generations and precious dollars in this tight economy. To put it in perspective, humans need roughly 2-4 liters of water per day; however its takes roughly 2000-5000 liters of water a day to produce a human’s daily food intake.

Granlibakken has worked in conjunction with the Tahoe Regional Protection Agency to help protect Lake Tahoe’s precious fresh water and doing their part in conservation efforts. The Resort asks guests to please hang up and reuse their towels if they are not dirty. Also, the resort has installed automatic turn off switches on faucets and is currently working on retrofitting the shower heads of the resort with new low flow shower heads to increase water conservation.

Let’s take a look at ways we can all help conserve this vital resource to our survival.  First and foremost the majority of water waste is in the bathroom. Did you know that turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth could save your family 5-10 gallons of water per day? The next time you take a bath, close the drain while you wait for the water to warm up. You can offset the cold water by simply turning your handle further towards the hot side.

In addition to water waste inside, the majority of people waste far too much water on their lawns. It takes 660 gallons of water to supply 1000 square feet of lawn with 1 inch of water! You can minimize your water usage by only watering in early morning and evening times. This prevents evaporation and allows plants to retain more moisture for their growth. If you are looking for an easy way for your yard to look great with minimal effort consider “zero scaping.” By decorating your yard with rocks and local flora you can cut down dramatically on your water usage and not sacrifice your yard’s esthetics. To help conserve the purity of this regions drinking water Granlibakken certifies that all building and roadway runoff is treated before flowing into the Truckee River.

Regardless of who you are, everyone can help play a part in the conservation of our freshwater. The next time you see water flowing out of the drain, think a little bit harder about where it goes and if you can get it back.