Bringing Water Conservation Education to Local Businesses
For the past two months, Kentucky American Water has been partnering with Bluegrass Greensource on water conservation and quality presentations throughout Bourbon, Clark, Owen, Scott, and Woodford counties. The presentations highlighted different ways people can conserve water at work, at home and in their yard.
Did you know the average dishwasher uses 40-55 gallons of water per cycle? Did you know that 13.7% of the water “used” in the average home actually comes from leaks?
Participants learned about average water usages in the home, including many common appliances. They learned ways to save water, including turning off the faucet as you brush your teeth or only washing dishes when the dishwasher is full. Out in the yard, utilizing rain barrels and rain gardens can not only capture water to utilize in your landscaping, but can also prevent runoff from collecting chemicals and litter and depositing it in the local streams. At work, it’s important to incorporate water conservation into new hire training, as it is not only good for the environment, but also can save the business money.
A wide variety of organizations and businesses participated, including: Scott County Extension, Full Circle Market in Winchester, Owen County Library, Life Adventure Center of the Bluegrass, Leadership Scott County, KCTCS, Bourbon County YMCA, Owen County Rotary Club, Woodford County Extension and the Woodford County Library.
Bluegrass Greensource offers many resources including water audit kits that can be used at home to identify potential wasted water. By working to conserve water, not only can businesses and individuals save money, but they can help the environment as well.
For more information and resources, contact Ryan Farley at ryan@bggreensource.org.