California is facing the most significant water crisis in its history. Folsom Lake is at a record low-level and the City of Folsom has declared a Stage 2 Water Alert. Folsom uses about 30,000 acre feet of water every year. Most of California is a desert and Folsom Lake's water is very important for all of California. With Folsom Lake only at 20% of its total capacity, saving water is now more important than ever.

There are three important aspects to our project, conservation and regeneration and storage.

Conservation: The quickest way to save water is to not use it. There are plenty of ways to cut down on your water usage. Below is a list of all of the ways you can save water.

Indoor:

• Turn off water while brushing (saves 4 gallons per minute)
• Use adjustable spray nozzle (saves 4 gallons per minute)
• Take 5 minute showers (uses 2 gallons per minute)
• Clean driveway with a broom rather than a hose (saves 50 gallons)
• Don't use toilets as trash  cans (saves 2-8 gallons per flush)
• Water plants only between 10 PM and 10 AM (prevents evaporation)
• Water only every other day
• Don't wash your car in your driveway, go to a carwash.
• Stop all leaks (at 10 drips per minute it will waste 526 gallons per year)
• Use showers rather than baths.
• Group your plants by which plants require more or less water.
• Use a toilet tummy (saves 1.25 gallons per flush)
• Install covers on your pool or spa (reduces evaporation)
• Only run the dishwasher when you have a full load.
• Turn of water when applying soap or shampoo

If each kid saves 1 gallon of water a day, that amounts to 365,000 gallons with a thousand kids in a year, which is more than an acre-foot of water.

(1 acre foot is 326,000 gallons)

We can save water both indoors and outdoors.

Every drop counts when we fight to conserve this precious resource.

1. http://www.water.ca.gov/drought/

2. http://iconserve.folsom.ca.us 

3. http://www.h2ouse.org/

4. http://www.usbr.gov/mp/arwec/