20-gallon challenge

<p>On a global level, 13 gallons of water is considered the bare daily minimum for one person's basic human needs. </p><p>The U.S.Geological Survey estimates that Americans use more like 80 to 100 gallons a day, but expect those numbers to fall in the wake of nationwide conservation campaigns.</p><p>Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a “20 Percent by 2020” charge earlier this year. State law now requires communities to reduce their water usage by 20 percent during the next decade.</p><p>San Diego,SantaBarbara and several smaller Southern California cities responded with “20-Gallon challenges,” motivating consumers to reduce daily usage by offering a discount to those who successfully trim 20 gallons a day. Those who fail are encouraged to try again.</p><p>Dan Muelrath, water conservation program coordinator for the City of Santa Rosa, prefers to skip the slogan and concentrate on the broader message, “Our future in every drop.” While the 20-gallon challenge is noble, he said, it's challenging for many consumers to conceptualize how much water 20 gallons really is.</p><p>“You can take shorter showers and stop watering your lawn,” he said. “But unless you have a concept of how much water is actually in 20 gallons, there's no way to look at your usage and determine that you're cutting back sufficiently.”</p><p>Heather Cooley, co-director of the water program at the Oakland-based Pacific Institute, said conservation targets can be successful, particularly when a region is faced with short-term constraints such as droughts. One key is a pricing policy that rewards reduction. Another is personal fulfillment.</p><p>“From an idealistic perspective, knowing that you are doing what you can to ensure that other people, ecosystems and future generations have adequate water supplies to met their needs can be a powerful motivator,” Cooley said.</p><p>Santa Rosa offers free water audits for homeowners interested in finding places to cut back; call 543-3985 for details. Once you've plugged the leaks and converted to water-saving devices, consider moving up to these suggestions from the Pacific Institute:</p><p>• Put a bucket in the shower while you're waiting for the water to warm up, and use it to flush toilets or water plants. You'll save almost 2 gallons a day.</p><p>• Compost food scraps and vegetable peelings instead of putting them down the disposal. You'll save more than 3 gallons a day.</p><p>• When washing clothes, switch from the double-rinse cycle to single-rinse. That will save more than 7 gallons a load.</p>