On Monday June 27th, IronFox Farm resorted to filling two 200 gallon water tanks from the house spigot. Up until yesterday, 2000+ gallons of rainwater were collected and delivered to thirsty plants. With this last week of June proving warm, windy, and dry, we really don’t have a choice beyond utilizing Sioux Falls’ municipal water source to keep our plants healthy and alive.
Before IronFox Farm began, Megan and I were determined to keep our water bill as low as possible. We weren’t worried about the cost, but our collective daily usage. Consistently we have managed to use 1 CCF (centum cubic feet) or 748 gallons of water per month or about 25 gallons per day. This amounted to a $17 monthly charge. At one point, Sioux Falls Utilities insisted that our water meter needed to be updated. Perhaps it did. I still surmise they were suspicious of our unusually low water usage?
Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “25 gallons doesn’t seem like much?” or “how many gallons does an average person use each day” or “I wonder how many gallons I use per day?” 1) Yes, 25 isn’t much. Megan and I have implemented strategies to keep our daily water consumption low. 2) According to the EPA, South Dakotans use between 76-100 gallons per day https://www.epa.gov/watersense/how-we-use-water. 3) Take a look at your next water bill! Maybe you will be surprised for better or for worse…
The EPA also acknowledges that agriculture, manufacturing, and energy production are the largest consumers of fresh water in the United States. We will leave these thirsty industries alone for now, but it’s worth mentioning that water conservation is not the individual’s responsibility. These are larger players that could and should utilize their water sources more wisely. I digress.
Keeping IronFox Farm quenched is going to increase Megan’s and my monthly consumption of water by 2-3CCFs/month depending on precipitation events through July and August. This pains us a little bit, but it’s not nearly the amount we were expecting/dreading. 2-3 more CCFs is manageable. Hell, it’s probably less than some people donate to their lawns each month! We will keep filling our tanks and hope for rain.
Here are a few strategies Megan and I have developed over the years to conserve water:
- Purchase a shower head with an adjustable low-flow option and use it
- Showers can be relaxing, but they really shouldn’t be more than 5 minutes
- Save your dish rinse water for plants (most dish soaps are plant safe) or the toilet tank (1.8 gallons per flush! – yikes!)
- Install a rain barrel or equivalent rainwater collection system for watering outdoor plants
- Before deciding to water a lawn, ask yourself “is this really a responsible use of water?”
- Check more than the $ numbers on your water bill and set a goal for yourself or your family
Our water resources are precious and limited. Look to the Colorado River, Lake Mead, and Lake Powell in the American southwest if you need a stark reminder. We are fortunate here in SD to have abundant water resources and the time to manage them judiciously for our future.