Is Water on Your Sustainability Agenda?

With coal, oil, and natural gas receiving most of the popular press, the often forgotten resource that may present the greatest challenge to many local communities is the availability of fresh water. Unlike energy constraints, water cannot be economically brought in from neighboring areas in tankers, on trucks, or even in transmission pipelines. For the most part, communities rely on the access and availability of a local water supply.

While water is not a new issue, rapidly increasing eco awareness may be expanding individual participation in management options. Our sustainability consulting finds communities are becoming increasingly aware of their water supply and are actively managing demand. According a recent report, the everyday consumer is becoming more aware of the community risk and economic trade-offs of water management.

Taking it down to an individual level, we encourage our eco living consulting clients to be actively aware of their consumption and water disposal. We stress the inclusion of water management as a sustainability concept in an overall business sustainability program. Some simple personal actions might include:

•    Create a personal water management philosophy
•    Identify high consumption activities (showers, watering lawn, washing clothes and dishes, etc.)
•    Identify and practice water conservation actions
•    Install water efficient equipment and fixtures

Want to learn more? Visit the Taiga Company blog for tools and resources to raise your eco awareness and to implement solutions that meet your specific needs.