This past Saturday was World Water Day, so we turned to our friends at Surfrider to get some great water saving tips! Did you know that 780 million (1 in 9) people lack access to clean water, and 3.4 million people die each year due to water related illness? Check out our blog for tips from Surfrider to help conserve numbers and change those statistics, and remember Healthy Earth = Healthy You!!
“Water Saving Tips” article below, courtesy of www.surfrider.org
Fix the leaks.
Check the water-using appliances, equipment, and other devices on your property for leaks, then fix and monitor them. Leaks can use up to five gallons of water a day. Be sure to check your water meter too. To do so, turn off all faucets and water-consuming appliances. Then look at the needle’s position on the dial of the meter and note the time. After 20 minutes, if the needle’s position changed, you may have a leak.
Turn off the tap.
By turning off the water while you’re brushing your teeth, and washing your hair, can save you up to 300 gallons of water a month.
Take shorter showers.
A four-minute shower uses up to 40 gallons of water. Using a kitchen timer or stopwatch is an easy way to keep track.
Avoid flushing waste.
Put tissues, insects and other waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
Cool drinking water in a pitcher.
Instead of running the tap until water is cool enough to drink, fill a pitcher and keep it in the refrigerator.
Put a brick in your tank.
If you have a traditional non-low flow toilet, put one or two bricks in your tank. This will help displace some of the volume and reduce the amount of water used during each flush.
Adjust laundry settings.
Washers are the second largest water user in a home. To save water with your current machine, wait to do laundry until you have a full load. If you must wash a smaller load, be sure to adjust its water settings. By avoiding the use of the Permanent Press cycle, you’ll save five gallons of water every time.
Use the broom and trash.
Hosing off a driveway and sidewalk wastes water and contributes to declines in downstream water quality. Use a broom, dustpan and put it in the trash.
Water wisely.
Watering your plants in the morning or evening reduces loss to evaporation, especially during warm days.
Discard remaining water in your plants.
Whether you’re giving your pets fresh water, waiting for the shower water to heat up or washing your fruit and veggies, collect the runoff and use it again—like in your plants.
Re-route rainwater.
A rain barrel watering system is awesome, but you can also install gutters and downspouts, directing the rainwater to trees and shrubs. This saves water and reduces runoff.
Plant drought-resistant lawns, shrubs and plants.
Drought-resistant landscaping is best for conserving water. Let your lawn go dormant in winter. Then you only have to water every three to four weeks, less if it rains (or snows). When mowing the grass, raise your lawn mower to 1.5 to 2.0 inches. Tall grass shades roots and holds more moisture than short grass.
Plant an Ocean Friendly Garden.
Planting plants that are adapted to your region’s climate will require a lot less water and maintenance, and could save you up to half of your household water use. Here is more information about Surfrider’s Ocean Friendly Garden program.
Clean water programs: conserving for the future
Know Your H2O(KYH2O)is a program designed to educate people on the link between freshwater management issues and the impact on the world’s oceans, waves, and beaches. Surfrider advocates for practical and environmentally sound solutions.
Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) is a volunteer-run, water testing, education and advocacy program. Surfrider chapters use this program to alert citizens and officials in their communities about water quality programs and to work toward solutions.
Ocean Friendly Gardens is a program that applies conservation, permeability and retention (CPR) to revive watersheds and oceans. Urban runoff from gardens and hard surfaces is the number one source of ocean pollution. By planting an ocean friendly garden, you can prevent runoff and flooding, and still have a beautiful, resourceful, and wildlife-friendly property.
The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network.
“Water Saving Tips” article courtesy of www.surfrider.org
