Take the 21 day habit challenge

With a few weeks still left in the first month of 2018, there’s still time to chisel out those new year’s resolutions. This year, the Santa Clara Valley Water District invites you to add on a layer. Want to be a better version of yourself? Do so while helping the larger community.

Together with the Save Our Water campaign, the water district challenges you to make water conservation a habit in just 21 days.  It’s easy — with a few simple steps each day, saving water will be as much a part of your routine as brewing your morning cup of coffee.

Here are a few ways:

• Take shorter showers (5 minutes or less)
• Wash full loads of dishes and clothes
• Soak pots and pans instead of scrubbing while running the tap
• Collect water from rinsing fruits and vegetables and water a houseplant
• Use your dishwasher instead of hand washing each dish
• Turn off the tap when shaving and brushing your teeth
• Use a broom instead of hosing off outdoor spaces

Whatever you decide to start with, stick to it for 21 days. You’ll  make it a daily habit in no time!

The state’s historic drought reminded us how precious and finite this resource is. Santa Clara County residents heard the rally cry to save our water and did an excellent job responding to the call for 20 percent water use reductions, cutting back 27 percent in 2015 and 28 percent in 2016 compared to water use in 2013.  Through November 2017, residents have reduced water use by 22 percent compared to 2013!

It’s these water-saving habits that helped us see our way through the drought and allowed our groundwater levels to recover (along with healthy precipitation from last year). Incorporating these practices in our everyday lives helps build a healthy lifestyle for California, and gets our state in better shape for the next dry spell. And just like building a healthy lifestyle for you, it takes little steps every day.

For more tips on water conservation visit watersavings.org.