We sprinkle water over our lawns, we wash ourselves with it, and we even drink it.
Water is a source of life for all of us. That's why water scarcity here in Utah and most of the West, is so threatening. Professor David Anderson teaches landscape architecture at Utah State University and is an expert on water scarcity and irrigation.
“Our ability to distribute water and our ability to store water is limited and so the challenge is, is there enough water to support a growing population that then supports a healthy economy and other things?" said Anderson.
But how can we protect our water supplies in the future?
“I tend to suggest that the easiest way to address that is to teach people how to use less water,” said Anderson.
Water consumption is really visible at Utah State University. Caitlin McLennan, Director of sustainability at USU, tells us how much water the university uses for its landscape operation.
1,541,276 cubic meters. This means that USU uses the equivalent of over 616 Olympic-sized swimming pools for the landscape operations. But why does USU do that?
“Students who are visiting campuses for the first time make their decision within 10 minutes of being on campus, and so it's important for recruitment, retention and student matriculation efforts,” said McLennan.
But is having big lawns really viable in this age? Professor Anderson explains some alternatives.
“Even if we just fixed all the leaks, probably 10% of the water is lost to leaks. Irrigate more appropriately based on weather conditions and other things.”
Due to climate change, water scarcity is going to be an even bigger topic. You can find resources at conservewater.utah.gov.
