, Publisher
04-21-2009
As we savor these last few weeks of cool spring weather, we are bracing ourselves for the blazing hot summer that will be here before we know it.
Conserving water to preserve the diminishing Sparta aquifer is important year-round, but especially during the summer months.
As we try to keep ourselves, our kids and our pets cool, our lawns lush and green and our plants perky, we will use a lot of water. We simply cannot forget, or downplay, the fact that our one and only water source is drying up.
The depleting Sparta aquifer provides potable water to residents in 16 parishes across north Louisiana. Locally, we rely 100 percent on the Sparta for our water.
It’s our responsibility to use only what we need year-round, but especially during the summer months. We can’t afford to waste one drop of our precious Sparta water. Once it’s gone, our community will be in dire straits.
Although it may be hard to imagine nothing coming out of the tap when we turn the faucet, that’s the reality of our Sparta situation. Unless we make drastic changes, there will come a day when the wells run dry.
As local, state and federal officials try to work out viable solutions to our water crisis, we each have a responsibility to do our part, too.
Here are some tips for conserving water during everyday activities:
• Water gardens and flower beds early in the morning or late in the evening to prevent water from evaporating in the heat of the sun.
• Don’t over-water lawns and beds. If water is running from your yard down the street, it’s a sign that it’s time to turn off the sprinkler.
• Set sprinklers on a timer so you won’t forget to turn them off.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks.
• Sweep the sidewalk and driveway with a broom instead of spraying it down with a hose.
• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.
• Take showers instead of baths.
• Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full.
Small steps to conserve water taken by every member of our community will make a difference.
We all use the Sparta for our daily life, and we should all do what we can to protect it.
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