Taking Local Action to Protect Water

Low-flow shower heads, rain barrels, and non-toxic cleaners are popping up in Northern Virginia households, thanks in part to the Water Stewardship Team program, a local initiative which teaches individuals about simple lifestyle changes to improve water quality and reduce water usage.

Although water is vital to our survival, many of us do not know much about it. We all live in a watershed, which consists of the land surface that drains into a local body of water, such as a stream or river. Our behavior impacts our local streams, like Four Mile Run, as well as the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay—often in ways we may not realize.

The Water Stewardship Team program, which started in 2003, has been very successful, with more than 250 households completing the program. Under this initiative, volunteer leaders create neighborhood teams. Each team then has a series of get-togethers to learn about household actions that improve water quality and conserve water.

As part of this unique program, each team is matched with an experienced coach who helps the team leader recruit team members and then works with the team leader to organize and lead four team meetings. The program provides an opportunity for people to get to know their neighbors and to complete specific watershed-friendly activities with guidance from a trained coach. Each team meeting includes plenty of time for social interaction, often featuring wine and cheese or a potluck.

Since 2003, forty-one neighborhood teams have completed more than 1,000 new actions to protect water quality and conserve water. Teams have reduced their total water usage by more than 3.4 million gallons a year. Each participating household has taken an average of eight new actions. The most popular actions include reducing use of toxic cleaners, finding and repairing water leaks, reducing use of water for toothbrushing and dishwashing, and installing rain barrels.

Participants describe meeting like-minded neighbors and having the opportunity to learn about community issues as the best parts of the program. “What attracted me to process was the concept of empowerment at a level that would work. Seeing the process and team members getting empowered was very gratifying,” said a team leader who led a team in 2005.

The program is coordinated by Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment in partnership with Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, the City of Falls Church, Fairfax County, and the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District.