The bottom line

Water conservation. The message is clear. If we each save a little, it can add up to major savings in water, energy and money. For the average household, reductions in water use as high as 40 percent or more are feasible, just by following the steps outlined on the preceding Web pages.

The benefits don't stop at the household or business. The municipal water and sewer department gets a break on the amount of water it has to pump to our homes and businesses and on the amount of wastewater it has to treat in sewage treatment plants. Water conservation can extend the useful life of municipal water supply and treatment plants, and will benefit the operating efficiency – and life expectancy – of private septic disposal systems.

And, finally, water conservation can generate significant environmental benefits. It can reduce water diverted and the pollution loadings on our lakes and rivers by reducing the volumes of wastewater which we have to treat. This can help to protect our drinking water and the ecological balance in sensitive aquatic ecosystems.

If we all practice water conservation, everyone – and everything – benefits.

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