The Sad Truth About Your Steamy Showers

I do not know what it is about the shower that makes me have the best ideas and in-depth thoughts. Maybe the steam puts me in a haze, allowing me to forget all distractions and focus. Maybe, I just get so lost in thought that my daydreaming turns into brainstorming. Regardless of the cause, this morning, I took an idea-creating, thought-provoking shower. It was long and my bathroom was filled with steam.

However, after my shower, I had another thought. I reflected on how much water I wasted in the twenty minutes I spent standing under my massaging shower head. In addition to this shower costing me an unspeakable amount on my water bill, I also just swallowed up gallons of the Trinity River that may never return.

Perhaps, you could say that my steamy shower caused me to think of this along with all the other million-dollar ideas I came up with in the shower. However, I would argue that my head was clear once I stepped out of my fiberglass bathtub. You could say the steam was getting me, but I would say the steam was what cleared my head and gave me this realization.

Unfortunately, the steam does not turn me into a human Wikipedia, so I did not organically come up with the statistics I am about to share with you. I did have to conduct empirical research so I could convince you how detrimental your relaxing shower really is.

On average, DFW residents use about 200 gallons of water daily per person. This is an average based on statistics from individual cities in DFW. Dallas residents use about 110 gallons daily, while Highland Park residents use more than 300 gallons daily.

Here’s the issue: We are so naive, ignorant and unaware of our footprint on the disappearance of water in our area. Our water comes from six main lakes in Texas, as well as aquifers, and the Trinity River.

We think, “How can water dry up?” “Doesn’t it just come back after it evaporates to the sky?” “What about the water cycle?” Yes, the water cycle does teach us how water returns to the Earth. However, it may not return directly to the source from which the water came. Our aquifers are drying up, nor can they sustain the overuse of water in Texas. They are being strained and literally pulled in every direction by farmers, facilities and plants, and to your steamy shower.

            While we may have to forfeit our thought-provoking showers, I promise there are other ways to focus intently and have bright ideas. Going on a run, hitting the gym, shopping, getting your nails done, and doing community service are all alternative activities that can be your safe-haven for idea generation – It does not need to be a long, aquifer-killing shower.

            There are also several other efforts we can make to conserve our water. Of course, one way is one we have been told since we were young. You can turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth. However, there are other ways as well. It is important to regulate your sprinklers to ensure that they are not over-soaking your grass. That is water that farmers in north Texas could use to grow their crops that end up in your local Tom Thumb.

            The Dallas Conservation Ordinance gives us guidelines on watering our yards that are very helpful. The guidelines include not watering during times of precipitation, ensuring that your hose or sprinklers are not watering your driveway or sidewalk, and installing an automatic sprinkler system. Additionally, it is beneficial to make sure there is no runoff into the road when watering your lawn. Lastly, a strategy for conserving water during the summer is to avoid watering your lawn during the day between April 1st and October 31st. It gets too warm during the days of the summer so the water would evaporate too quickly. In order to catch as much water as possible, it is best to water at night during the summer.

            I hope these recommendations are helpful. Additionally, I hope I convinced you to sacrifice your steam shower in the morning, not because I want to stifle your brilliant shower ideas. It is because the best idea is to conserve our water before it is too late.