We used 66,000 gallons of water last year. As the chart in my last post shows, a lot of homes used less. Our use works out to 90 gallons per day per person (we are a 2-person household). We actually used more water over the past few years.
This water use trend excludes water wasted from a couple of leaks we’ve had, because we’re focusing only on how much we can do through conservation. We’ll do a more detailed analysis later to show the “water cost” our leaks have created.
We’ve been working at getting our water consumption down. We used 124 gallons per day per person in 2019, 115 in 2020, 97 in 2021, and 90 last year. Helping us is we have mature desert landscaping that we water only 4-5 times a year for 1.5 hours each time. Hurting us is we have an irregular shape pool – so no option for a cover. Helping – we have recirculating hot water.
We’ll keep trying to improve. I keep a running 12-month moving average, making it a game of sorts. Here’s our water use trend.
I posted this information on Nextdoor and someone commented, “We went from 60K in 2021 to 51K in 2022. New house more visitors in 2021 than 2022 and conservation. But again, more visitors use more water just in our homes. Keep fighting to stop the short-term rentals because they wouldn’t be even close to 51 or 60K a year with short term rentals.” Good point. And although Patty and I haven’t tried this yet, here’s an idea to try if you have a lot of guests.
Please share your comments on this topic and tell me about
other Ivins issues I have not addressed in recent posts.
Email me at Mike@MikeScott4Ivins.com.
Recent “Water” posts
- Securing Our Water Future: An Evening with Peter AnninJoin Peter Annin, author of “Purified” and a leading voice in water recycling and management, for an insightful discussion on how Washington County’s water plans compare to innovative practices across the United States. Discover how these strategies can help shape a sustainable water future for our community. Register now for this FREE event to secure…
- Low Snow, High Stakes: Water and GrowthWater is the lifeblood of our desert community, and I know many Ivins residents are deeply concerned about its availability as development continues at a seemingly relentless pace across the county. These worries only grow when we see projects that appear to consume water excessively. If you’ve read any of the 47 articles on my…
- A Reservoir of Good News for Dry WashIvins residents can celebrate a significant win for open space and water conservation. In a letter from Zach Renstrom, General Manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District, the district announced it will postpone development of Dry Wash as a reuse water reservoir. (Download letter) This decision is a direct result of exemplary water conservation…
- A Peek Into 2025 Water ConditionsCurious about how our water outlook is shaping up for 2025? Let’s dive into some data tracked by the USDA’s National Water and Climate Center. This daily tracking provides a “snow water equivalent” snapshot, essentially, how much water we can expect to get from snowmelt Where Are We Now? Graph 1 tells an eye-opening story.…
- Wells Get By With A Little Help From…A 1993 report, titled “Utah State Water Plan: Kanab Creek/Virgin River Basin,” highlighted a critical challenge: “In general, irrigation water needs exceed supply. This accents the need for wise management and conservation of water. Monitoring of groundwater storage would be imperative to prevent mining.” Are we paying attention to that advice? The U.S. Geological Survey…