Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway
Why This is Green
A broom can clean a driveway or sidewalk just as well as a hose—and without water. How much water gets used depends on the type of hose being used—it’s size and length—plus supply pressure. Some say the average garden hose uses about 6 to 15 gallons per minute, others put that number as high as 30. Whatever your hose’s flow rate is, if it takes 10 to 20 minutes to clean off your driveway or sidewalk, that’s hundreds of gallons of water every time you clean.
By using a broom, you’ll also reduce a major source of water pollution. The water you spray on your driveway combines with chemicals like oil or antifreeze leaked from cars and flows into sewers. Most of these chemicals go untreated directly into bodies of water and can kill aquatic life including fish in streams.
Using less water on your driveway allows more to stay in the ground or in a reservoir, which in turn helps maintain a natural H20 balance and saves some for future use. There are many parts of the country that do not have enough water to support the current population and levels of water usage. Even if you live in a place with ample rain, there may be a drought or even water restrictions. At least 36 states expect shortages in the next five years.
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How To
Avoid the temptation of the hose and nozzle. Grab a broom instead. Bonus: you’ll get some exercise.
