On The Importance of Water Conservation

Over the last several weeks and several cold snaps in Louisiana, authorities have asked people to be conservative with regard to water consumption... Now I know why!

Within two weeks, we had three spigots burst at our farm, which is to be expected when you have prolonged periods of cold weather. You just come to accept the fact that you'll be hauling hot water from the house to make sure the horses have water. What I didn't expect was one of our underground pipes to burst!

As near as I can tell, it happened Sunday night during the big thunderstorm that rolled through. What makes it interesting is that it wasn't that cold! Monday, we ignored the water running across our drive, attributing it to our french drains under the arena. When I noticed the water still there yesterday, I made a note to myself to ask my husband to check the water meter... Except, it was 7pm before I walked into the house and mentioned it to him last night!

Like the amazing man he is, he loaded up and went to the front of the property to check... Yep, we had a leak. He traced it back through the barn yard and then the arena to find where the water was coming from. God love him, he had to dig about two feet down to reach the water line, only to find the electric was run right along beside it. That's not something you want to accidentally hit under the best of circumstances, much less in the middle of a water leak. We tested it by turning the water back on at the main and the dang leak was coming from further down the field. After much consultation, we decided to leave our water off over night and let the experts come take care of the problem in the morning.

I figured if we brought a big jug of water back the dogs would have plenty to drink and we could brush our teeth in the morning using water from water bottles. With two bathrooms, we'd each have one flush each. We planned to use our flush wisely!

Having no water short term isn't all bad though! You'd be amazed at the thoughts that rolled through my head though!

1. Keith already swept and mopped the floors... Score!

2. No cooking! That means I'll be resorting to my favorite culinary method of preparing meals, the microwave!

3. Oh dear... how am I going to rinse that microwave lasagna out of our bowls? I know, I'll use the spray bottle full of water we spray at the dogs when they're bad!

3. Having no water is a great excuse to rock day two hair! Break out the dry shampoo and a pony tail holder...

4. Damn! I'm out of make up wipes now! I guess it'll be a sink bath with a damp wash cloth... How the heck am I supposed to shave my legs????

5. Thank goodness I already did laundry, but I've only got one good bra left... Oh wait, I have yoga tomorrow night and I really wanted to wear my favorite leggings... Please say we get water back soon!

6. Dang, water sure is heavy! Do the dogs really drink this much?

7. How am I really supposed to brush my teeth without the water running? Just think, I'm single-handedly saving the Sparta Aquifer.

On second thought, I hope the plumber has everything fixed by the time I get home from work!