California’s Governor Jerry Brown has recently signed two bills into law, Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668, that focus on decreasing per-person water usage.[1] The goal of SB-606 is to achieve “20-percent reduction from the baseline daily per capita water use by December 31, 2020.” The second bill, AB-1668, sets the “standard for indoor residential water use” at 55 gallons a day per person, with the number decreasing to 50 gallons by 2030. [2]
How much is 50 gallons per day? If you do the math, depending on the type of washing machine and how much time one spends in the shower, consumers could exceed the 50 or 55-gallon mark just by showering and doing laundry on the same day.[3] Maybe the choice isn’t one or the other, maybe it’s water reclamation.
[1] Lybrand, Holmes. Fact Check: Is It Now ‘Against the Law in California to Shower and Do Laundry on the Same Day’? 5 6 2018. Web. 22 6 2018.
[2] Luther, Daisy. Now It’s Against the Law in California to Shower and Do Laundry on the Same Day. 3 6 2018. Web. 22 6 2018.
[3] Janeway, Kimberly. Yes, Your Washing Machine Is Using Enough Water. 9 4 2017. Web. 22 6 2018.
Photo credit: Steven Depolo via Flickr