VOW to Value Our Water

Despite last winter’s welcome rainfall, we’re still in a drought. So we need to start thinking differently about water and how we use it.

If the drought has taught us anything, it is that water should not be taken for granted. We are fortunate to live in a place where safe, clean water is delivered to our homes 24 hours a day, every day.

But that’s not a given. Water supplies are finite. Droughts will happen. After the dry years we have all endured together, it’s time to value the water supplies we have and the infrastructure that cleans it, tests it and delivers it all the way to your tap.

Water is our most precious resource. This year, we’re asking everyone to take the VOW to Value Our Water.

Take a moment to vow to take shorter showers or vow to load a full dishwasher. Our children can get in the act too by vowing to turn off the water while they brush their teeth. How about outdoors? Vow to use water wise plants and save water and money. These are all simple but achievable ways to save water in and around our homes.

We applaud you for the savings you achieved in 2015. Santa Clara County water users garnered 27 percent water savings over the course of the year. In 2016, water savings have continued at even better rate, with cumulative savings of 29 percent through June.

Saving water as a response to drought can vanish with the rains. But saving water because we value it can lead to a lifestyle of conservation and a more dependable supply of water for future generations.

Let’s all VOW to value our water.

For tips and tools, visit watersavings.org.