It takes us all to help in small ways to become a more sustainable community. In 2024, we’re partnering with the Lakeside Environmental Stewardship Society (LESS) to educate Lakesiders about the Net Zero Goals we plan to achieve.
Zero Pollution and carbon reflects the desire to absolutely minimize pollution of our environment. Clean water, clean air and a healthy environment for all natural forms of life must be improved and maintained. All components that we use should have no lasting harm to the environment.
Zero Energy is part of the goal to minimize carbon dioxide and encourage sustainable energy resources. Lakeside needs to minimize energy consumption and use sustainable energy (solar, wind, hydro, etc.) as much as possible.
Zero Waste reflects the desire to divert all waste from landfills by minimizing consumption, maximizing the useful life of materials and encouraging a virtuous cycle of material use and reuse.
Zero Water reflects the desire both to minimize water use and to minimize and control stormwater runoff. Water usage also translates directly to energy use possible.
Today, we’re focusing on the last goal, Zero Water.
Lakeside is located on the shores of Lake Erie, the fourth largest of the Great Lakes. The water we use daily is processed to ensure it’s clean and healthy and then pumped into our homes, rentals and campers.
You can take small steps to help reduce water consumption, resulting in savings in processing costs and, more importantly, in saving the electric power needed for pumping.
- Change to a modern showerhead with the flow limited to 1.8 gpm or less
- Install a new toilet with a flow of 1.3 gpf or less
- Use a new dishwasher or washing machine, which will have much lower water consumption than older models
- If you’re staying in one of Lakeside’s hotels, ask that towels and bedding not be refreshed every day
Zero Water goes beyond just fresh water. How well do you manage your stormwater runoff?
- Rather than hard paving, use a permeable paving system where you need a hardscape. This means a system that will let water pass through a hard surface and into an open gravel structure that will give water time to be absorbed into the ground
- Install a rain barrel and save the rainwater for use during dry weather.
- Flowerbeds absorb water better than grassy areas and trees are great for providing pathways into the ground to absorb rainwater
What are other ways you can help Lakeside achieve its Zero Water goal?
