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On March 20, the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority held a 鈥淔irst Day of Spring鈥� event with Environmental Club members at Monte Vista Elementary School near Nob Hill. The high temperature that day reached 89 degrees, according to the Journal, setting a record for the date. The Water Authority鈥檚 education coordinator, Jeff Tuttle, took the opportunity to explain to the children that water consumption tends to rise in lockstep with temperatures. Indeed, March water use was up about 14% at that point, or about 180 million gallons, over the same period last year.

Tuttle also reminded students that while cranking up the sprinklers may be a natural human response to hot weather, overwatering is not a responsible way to operate in a desert environment such as ours. Neither, he pointed out, is giving up on important conservation practices just because conditions are worse than usual. The Rio Grande in sa国际传媒官网网页入口, according to some predictions, may run dry as early as May this year. And against Mother Nature, our apparently puny individual efforts may seem inconsequential. But as Tuttle pointed out, 鈥淓verything we do matters.鈥�

So, what can we do?

The Water Authority has a simple (one might say elementary) answer. And that is to 鈥淲ater by the Numbers.鈥� Originally conceived in 2008 as an alternative to mandatory odd-even watering days, Water by the Numbers is a voluntary conservation program aimed at lawn irrigation. Its 1-2-3-2-1 formula is just a guideline 鈥� the only hard-and-fast (and fine-enforced) rules are no sprinklers between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. (from April 1-Oct. 31), and no overspray or overflow onto streets and sidewalks. And for plants other than lawns, the Water Authority provides detailed recommendations on its award-winning landscaping website, 505Outside.com. But for lawns, Water by the Numbers directs users to limit irrigation to one day per week in March, two days per week in April and May, and three days per week in the summer. In September, just go back the way you came: two days per week in September and October, and one day per week in November.

The kids at Monte Vista had the 1-2-3-2-1 formula memorized after a few rounds of practice. As adults, we would do well to memorize it 鈥� and apply it 鈥� ourselves. Because the water we save by following it will be water saved for all the kids who follow us as citizens of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 and Bernalillo County.

Barbara Baca represents District 1 on the Bernalillo County Commission. She is chair of the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority.