Water conservation

Water conservation comprises practices that reduce water use or prevent unnecessary water loss. It includes changes in behavior, technology, and management across homes, farms, industry, and ecosystems.

Drip irrigation: An irrigation method that delivers water through tubing and emitters directly to plant roots. It reduces field water losses by targeting water delivery near crops.
Water demand management: Policies and practices that shape water use to meet needs with less demand or less waste. It frames conservation as managing demand rather than expanding supply.
Water scarcity: A condition in which available water supplies are insufficient to meet human and environmental needs. Lower demand can ease shortages where supplies are limited.
Water supply management: The planning and operation of infrastructure and sources that deliver water to users. It emphasizes securing and distributing supplies, rather than reducing demand.
Rainwater harvesting: The collection and storage of rainwater for later use. Stored rainfall can replace treated supplies for suitable household and landscape needs.
Water efficiency: The amount of useful service obtained per unit of water used. Efficiency improvements deliver the same service with less water.
Groundwater depletion: The decline of groundwater reserves when extraction exceeds replenishment over time. Reduced withdrawals can slow depletion of aquifers used for farms and cities.
Desalination: The removal of dissolved salts from seawater or brackish water to produce freshwater. It creates an additional source but does not itself reduce water use.
Greywater reuse: The treatment and reuse of wastewater from sinks, showers, and laundry, excluding toilet sewage. Reusing household wastewater can reduce demand for fresh water in irrigation and flushing.
Water footprint: A measure of freshwater used directly and indirectly to produce goods and services. Footprints reveal water use embedded in products beyond direct withdrawals.

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