Water: Every Drop Counts

Water is a precious natural resource. Despite the large proportion of land versus water on Earth, only 3% of the water is fresh. And, less than one third of 1% is actually available for use. The rest is frozen in glaciers or polar ice caps, or is deep within the Earth beyond our reach. Growing populations and ongoing droughts are dramatically reducing our water resources.
There are a myriad of reasons to make every effort to conserve water. The two most obvious: it will save you money in the long and short run and future generations need us to take responsibility for protecting this life sustaining resource.

Tips for Conserving Water
Bathrooms: In the United States, 27 per cent of our water is used for bathing.

• Never use your toilet as a waste basket.
• Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth. (Saves 4 gallons per minute. That’s 200 gallons/week for a family of four.)
• Take short showers instead of tub baths.
• Use a water-conserving showerhead which can save 350 pounds of CO2 a year.
• If you must use a tub, close the drain before turning on the water and fill the tub only half full. Bathe small children together.
• Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it -such as watering a plant or garden.
• Repair leaky faucets. They can leak up to 100 gallons of water per day!

Kitchen and Laundry:

• Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a basin. Use a vegetable brush.
• Do not use water to defrost frozen foods, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
• Use a dishpan for washing and rinsing dishes.
• Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher.
• Add food wastes to your compost pile instead of using the garbage disposal
• Operate the dishwasher only when completely full.
• Use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.

Outside:

• Sweep driveways, sidewalks and steps rather than hosing off.
• Wash the car with water from a bucket, or consider using a commercial car wash that recycles water.
• When using a hose, control the flow with an automatic shut-off nozzle.
• Avoid purchasing recreational water toys that require a constant stream of water.
• If you have a swimming pool, consider a new water-saving pool filter.
• Lower pool water level to reduce amount of water splashed out.
• Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation when pool is not being used

Equipment:

• Repair all leaks. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons per day. To detect leaks in the toilet, add food coloring to the tank water. If the colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking. Toilet repair advice is available at www.toiletology.com/index.shtml.
• Install ultra-low flow toilets, or place a plastic container filled with water or gravel in the tank of your conventional toilet. Be sure it does not interfere with operation of the toilet’s flush mechanism.
• Install low-flow aerators and showerheads.
• Consider purchasing a high efficiency washing machine which can save over 50% in water and energy use.

You’re In Control

• Try to do one thing each day to save water. It’s fine if the savings are minimal. Every single drop counts, and every person can make a difference.
• Make sure your children and grandchildren are aware of the need to conserve water.

Take the water awareness test and see how you measure up. Go to: www.getwise.org.