My Progress in my DOT Project to Save Water(post #2)

So far so good…

Everything is going well with my project so far even though it can be challenging showering for less time than usual, and habits are hard to change. I have saved 21 gallons from my usual shower, which you can view on my Google spreadsheet. It makes me happy to know that I’m making a change even if it’s small.

Challenges during this experience include figuring out ways to save water in the shower and cleaning myself properly with less water. Solutions I figured out include lathering up before turning on the shower as well as timing myself with music, so I can hear when I’m done. However, decreasing shower time has been hard, since I was used to taking a certain time.

My rationale so far is based on what I’ve read, and I may have decreased my shower time, but it’s still comparatively high. The average American showers for 8.2 minutes and uses 17.2 gallons (65.1 liters) at an average flow rate of 2.1 gallons per minute (gpm). In order to accomplish a shorter shower time and save even more water, I plan to shower every other day and decrease my shower time even further.

My favorite part of this project has been trying a new habit and seeing how long I can last doing it. It’s very challenging to continually self-improve by developing a good habit as well as conserving a resource many people take for granted.

So far I’ve made small improvements and built upon them. For helpful ideas on how to save water, you can go to this site.