Water Action Day: A Stream of Conscience

Few people know how much energy and money it takes to transform water from the Potomac River into the water we drink and wash with every day.  To raise awareness and promote conservation, I propose a Water Action Day involving businesses along King Street in Old Town Alexandria.  We plan to work with each business to identify steps to reduce water consumption.  Each of the activities recommended is simple, low cost, and can be implemented by business owners with the help of local boy scouts, girl scouts and YMCA groups.  Some examples of activities include:

• Installing $4 faucet aerators in bathroom sinks - takes 5 minutes to install.
• Inserting $30 Dual-Flush Toilet Retrofit kits - takes 15 minutes to install.

Each of the businesses would invest in materials but would gain savings on water use.  On the day of the event, each youth group volunteer and a mentor would install the devices at participating businesses. Participants in Water Action Day could join in a 'live' video stream of this event on Facebook, demonstrating, with simple low cost steps, how Old Town Alexandria can save over two million gallons of water each year. By involving active youth groups in the installation of devices, future homeowners can become better stewards of the planet by learning how easy it is to save water and money through awareness and conservation. Each year we can encourage new businesses to join Alexandria’s stream of conscience on Water Action Day.