Caribbean Inspired Water Conservation

The US Virgin Islands are a relatively dry place. Except when they are getting a hurricane, and when Dr Desert Flower and I vacation there, they get very little rain. The islands have cacti all over them. Rain that falls on roofs is captured in cisterns channeled from gutters. St. John even has a small reverse osmosis desalination plant, and a larger one too. Water is expensive there, and therefore, it is conserved.

While we were there, we kept toilet flushing to a minimum, never left the water running, showered outside in a poolside, semi-enclosed shower (which was pretty cool), and conserved water as much as possible. In the shower, you'd get wet, turn off the water, lather up, rinse, and not leave the water running, to save a few gallons.

Well a month later, and here in Phoenix, I find myself doing the same kind of things:
- not leaving the water running in the shower
- installed 2 large plastic cups in the toilet tank so the volume of flush water is cut in 1/2
- filling a gardening watering can when running the kitchen sink to get hot water to come out of the 70 feet of buried copper line between the kitchen and garage water heater
...maybe it is just a guilty conscience for having a pool in the desert.

Global scientific and economic experts predict that future wars will be fought over water resources... I hope it's not in my lifetime.