Water is a precious commodity, and Americans and Canadians use more water per capita than people in any other part of the world. A lot of the water we use is wasted, but you can save a lot of water between simple adjustments and water-saving fixtures and appliances. Here are just some of the ways you can save water at home:

Kitchen

• Don’t rinse dishes before loading them in the dishwasher–just scrape them and let your dishwasher do the work it was designed to do.
• Place a jug of water in the refrigerator for cold drinking water rather than letting the water run until it’s cold.
• When washing dishes by hand, fill the basin rather than leaving the tap on and washing dishes under a steady flow of water.

Bathroom

• Install dual-flush toilets or the newer 1-gallon models. You’ll recoup your costs in water savings more quickly than you think.
• Replace your old shower head with a low-flow fixture.
• Limit showers to 10 minutes.
• Test your toilets to find out if they’re leaking, and if they are, make any necessary repairs. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water daily.
• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and shaving, and you’ll save more than 200 gallons of water each month.
• Likewise, if possible, turn the tap off while lathering when you’re washing your hands, and you’ll save nearly a gallon of water with each hand-washing.

Laundry Room

• Invest in a high-efficiency washing machine. They use less than half the water of many traditional models.
• Presoak heavily soiled clothing in a basin rather than using the heavy-duty cycle.
• Wash only full loads of laundry; the same amount of water is used whether the load is full or half full.

Outdoors

• Regularly check any irrigation systems and garden hoses for leaks.
• Water your lawn less. Most lawns only need to be water twice a week in the summer.
• Collect rainwater for watering your garden.

Saving water is often about little changes you can make to your routine. Not only will those little changes conserve water, they’ll save you money.

The new plan allows residents to water on specific days, according to even and odd-numbered addresses.

LOS ANGELES — Residents in the City of Los Angeles can now water their lawns and gardens up to three days a week instead of two. The city’s new water conservation ordinance takes effect Wednesday.

Customers whose street addresses end with an odd number - 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 - are permitted to use their sprinkler systems on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Customers whose addresses end in even numbers - 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 are permitted to do so on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Addresses ending in fractions are treated as whole numbers and observe the same day restrictions as others on their same side of the street, (ie: 4321 ½ is regarded as 4321, an odd-numbered address.)

Time limits are in place based on the type of nozzle used.

Non-conserving spray head sprinklers and bubblers, which are common in most landscapes, are allowed up to 8 minutes per watering station per day.

Rotors and multi-stream rotary heads are allowed 15 minutes per cycle and up to two cycles per day per watering station. Watering with sprinklers is restricted to hours before 9:00 a.m. and after 4:00 p.m., regardless of the watering day.

All other prohibited uses of water remain in effect.

The Charlottesville government will give away water conservation kits to city residents every Friday for the rest of the summer while supplies last.

The free kits will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays in front of City Hall.

The tools are part of an ongoing program to save water. City officials said that as the dry weather continues across the region, they will step up public education efforts on the benefits of water conservation.

The indoor kit contains several items, including a self-cleaning, massaging showerhead; a dual-thread bathroom faucet aerator; a package of two toilet leak detection dye tablets and a roll of Teflon tape.

July 26, 2010

7/26/2010

Making its way around the nation, The Conservation Tour - with its “Responsible Bathroom,” makes a stop in Bend on Monday.

 

It’s a tour bus featuring environmentally friendly bathroom features that look and act like your standard faucets and toilets, but save gallons of water.

 

Plumbers from around town walked through the bus, taking a peak at the latest in water efficient products.

 

“Our faucets, rather than having the 2.2 gallon a minute or 2.5 gallon a minute, we’ve reduced those down to 1.45 gallons a minute. We’ve done the same in our shower heads and we’re just trying to promote water conservation,” says Randall Guile, American Standard Products.

 

The tour’s goal is to save 2 billion gallons of water by the end of the year.

Mile High Youth Corps member Jamie Wilson, 21, of Rolesville, N.C., installs a low-flow kitchen sink aerator in the Denver rental home of Marlene Vasquez.

CAPTION

By Marc Piscotty for USA TODAY

To promote water conservation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency kicked off an educational campaign today that features four families competing in reality-TV fashion to see which can save the most water.

The “We’re for Water Campaign” campaign began in Los Angeles, where two families will spend the next week competing, and will travel across the country to New York, where two more families will face the same week-long challenge. In each city, the winner will show off its efficiency by performing timed events such as toilet flapper repair and shaving at the sink.

Sound corny? The EPA says that from 1950 to 2000, the U.S. population nearly doubled but public demand for water more than tripled. It says at least 36 states anticipate local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013.

Besides, summer is peak season for water use, so the EPA decided it was a good time to showcase ways to save water such as using low-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets, many of which bear its WaterSense label for efficiency.

“Whether by replacing an old, inefficient plumbing fixture with a WaterSense labeled product or adopting more water-efficient behaviors, together we can help save water for future generations,” said Peter Silva, assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Water.

The EPA says consumers can start saving water with three simple steps: check, twist and replace.

• Check toilets for silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank; if the color shows up in the bowl indicating a leak, fixing it may be as simple as replacing the toilet’s flapper.
• Twist on a WaterSense-labeled bathroom faucet aerator to use 30% less water without a noticeable difference in flow.
• Replace a showerhead with a WaterSense-labeled model that uses less water and energy but has all the power of a water-hogging model.

The EPA’s campaign, which will stop at national monuments including Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota before culminating Aug. 3 at Rockefeller Center, is a joint effort with American Water, the nation’s largest publicly traded water services provider.

Monitor Your Water Use From Your Computer City kicks off “real-time online water use tracking for homeowners and businesses”

Getty Images

City water customers will be able to monitor their home or business’s water usage online thanks to wireless water meters being installed as part of the mayor’s Automated Meter Reading program.

The wireless meters, once installed, transmit data every six hours.  The online service allows customers to view their usage anywhere from daily to monthly. City officials hope the system will help customers “identify ways to conserve water, reduce water bills and detect leaks,” according to a statement on the program.

The Bronx was first to receive the service; starting yesterday, water customers whose homes and businesses have been installed with the wireless meters could go to the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) website and — with no extra charge — sign up to receive notifications of their water use. 

Queens is next, on July 26th, then  Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island on August 9th, 23rd, and September 7th, respectively.  Once completed, New York City will be the largest city in the world to use wireless water metering, the mayor’s office says.

The meters’ installation began in March 2009 and to date is 46 percent complete — 380,000 of the city’s 834,000 water customers now have  the wireless units.The city estimates that all NYC water customers will have the meters by January 2012, taking into account an estimated 7,000 to 9,000 new customers added each week to the system.

“The Automated Meter Reading technology is a boon to water conservation across the City,” said Council Member James F. Gennaro at Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement Monday in City Hall.  “In this rough economy, this technology is clearly something that makes both sense and cents.”

Aside from helping customers reduce their bills, the city expects to save money as well. The wireless transmitters instantly report water usage, so the city no longer needs to contract ConEd to manually read water meters, saving approximately $3.6 million a year. Further, more accurate monitoring will lead to fewer disputes over bills, thus “more bills being paid sooner,” the city said in a statement.

The total cost of the system’s installation is $252 million, including the wireless transmitters on the water meters and the rooftop receivers which transmit the data back to the DEP.

“By providing information faster and more accurately, we’re giving our customers the tools they need to make smart decisions about their water consumption,” said DEP Commissioner Cas Holloway.  “When people know more, they can save more … Customer service is our top priority.”

Water district lifts one-day-per-week water restrictions

The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board voted today to let the modified Phase II water shortage restrictions expire on Wednesday.

Local governments will have the option of returning to the District’s twice-per-week, year-round water conservation measures starting July 1.

Click on the link at the end of this article to see the attached fact sheet for a summary of the new restrictions. However, some local governments may impose different schedules or retain stricter measures. Residents should check their local restrictions before changing their irrigation schedule.

The Governing Board voted to lift the restrictions in response to significant improvements in aquifer and river levels as a result of this winter’s above-average rainfall. Moreover, the region’s major public water suppliers have been able to capture and store large supplies of water to meet the needs of residents. However, the Board urged residents to continue the water conservation practices they’ve learned over the past three years.

“I want to commend the residents of the region for really stepping up to the plate to conserve water over the past three years,” said Ronald E. Oakley, Governing Board chair. “But we want to remind them that just because they may be able to water two days per week, doesn’t mean they need to. We can’t afford to be wasteful.”

Twice-per-week watering allows residents additional flexibility for determining when to water. Residents are encouraged to water only if their lawn and landscape needs it and turn off their irrigation system if it has rained or rain is predicted in the next 24 hours. Some of the signs that a lawn needs water include a blue-gray appearance, blades folded in half lengthwise and footprints remaining on the lawn for several minutes after walking on it.

The District declared a water shortage in January 2007. Seven counties were subject to additional Phase III restrictions in 2008 and 2009. Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties were briefly subject to the most aggressive Phase IV restrictions when public water supplies were critically low last spring.

• Water conservation fact sheet (PDF download)

According to the EPA, at least 36 states anticipate local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013. Fortunately, HGTVPro.com’s comprehensive water conservation guide is preparing homeowners with tips from HGTV experts, along with information on products and corresponding installation instructions.

Here are some tips:

– Store rainwater for your lawn and landscape with a rain barrel or rainwater pillow.

– Installing a hot water circulation system is an easy and relatively inexpensive means of reducing the time it takes for shower/bath water to heat up, saving valuable gallons of water every year.

– Revamp landscaping using native plants, which are drought-tolerant and require less water to maintain.

– Invest in an advanced plumbing system to seriously crack down on water use, making the home more efficient.

– Low-flow, water-saving toilets significantly reduce the amount of fresh water consumed and the corresponding amount of blackwater generated.

In addition to these general techniques, HGTVPro.com lists products to help make the conservation initiative a success:

– NRGideas Series Shower heads flows at 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) — less than the required flow rate of 2.0 gpm by the EPA WaterSense criteria — for the feel of a great shower without the high water usage.

Summer is just around the corner, and as the temperature rises, so does water use, as Americans head outdoors to embrace time-honored summer rituals from washing the car to watering the lawn. In fact, according to the EPA’s WaterSense program, water usage on a peak day in the average American home spikes to 1,000 gallons per day, compared to 260 gallons off-peak. American Water /quotes/comstock/13*!awk/quotes/nls/awk (AWK 20.10, +0.09, +0.45%) , the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company and a partner of EPA WaterSense, offers 10 easy tips consumers can follow* to reduce the environmental impact of their water habits both indoors and out.

– Water your lawn only when it needs it. An easy test to tell if your lawn needs water is to simply walk across the grass. If you leave footprints, it’s time to water. (An added benefit of watering less often is that fewer, deep-soaking waterings encourage deep root growth and stronger turf.)

– Water in the early morning. As much as 30 percent of water can be lost to evaporation by watering during midday.

– Set your lawn mower one notch higher to make your lawn more drought-tolerant.

– Use drip irrigation hoses to water plants, and water in the early morning or evening.

– Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your sidewalk, driveway, or patio.

– Forego the hose and wash your car with a bucket and sponge instead. According to EPA WaterSense, a hose left running can waste as much as six gallons per minute while a bucket and sponge uses only a few gallons to do the job.

– Keep a bottle of cold tap water in the refrigerator. You’ll avoid the cost and environmental impact of bottled water and you’ll have cold water available in the summer without running the faucet.

– Run dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are full. If you have a water-saver cycle, use it.

– Adjust the water level of your clothes washer so it matches your load size.

– Regularly check your toilet, faucets and pipes for leaks and have them fixed promptly. An easy test for toilet leaks from EPA WaterSense: Place a drop of food coloring in the tank. If the color tints the water in the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak.

NRG’s Water Conservation Products Review

With summer time in full swing, water demands around the country are increasing.  Perfect timing for my new review!   I had the opportunity to review some of New Resources Group’s water conservation products.  With so many products to choose from, NRG has products and tips for water conservation inside and outside your home.  Below are the products we reviewed and our experiences with them:

Shower Timer - The Original “Shorter Shower” Sand Timer

Buy it: As low as: $2.50
Shorter Shower sand timer helps you beat the clock and save! Simply turn the timer on its suction cup backing to know when five minutes are up. Save water and save money with this handy and durable conservation device. Perfect for getting into the habit of a quicker and more efficient shower. Blue housing standard with sand timer and shatter-proof plastic cover.

Easy to install, the shower timer is a great reminder to only use the water necessary to shower.  Absolutely every time I go to turn on the shower, I see the timer and am reminded not to let the water go unused but to hop right in as soon as the temperature is the way I want it.  This product is very inexpensive too!

Chrome Spray Clean high performance water saving Shower Head

Buy it: As low as: $4.98
Spray Clean fixed spray shower head in a chrome finish. Self cleaning and maintenance-free. Pass hand across thermo-plastic rubber jets to clean shower head as needed. The Spray Clean is engineered to deliver a great slower with surprisingly little water. Attractive chrome-plated finish fits in any décor. Non-removable Neoperl pressure compensating flow controller produces steady low flow rate no matter what the water pressure. Easy to clean thermo-plastic jets are perfect for areas with hard water. Easy to install – no tools required, simply hand-tighten on a standard ½” shower arm.

Choose from 1.5, 1.75, 2.0 & 2.5 gpm shower heads.

This product is great because you won’t even notice that you are using less water in the shower when in fact, you are using significantly less.  And it looks great too!

6 Position Metal Hose Nozzle, self closing for home & garden

Buy it: As low as: $4.58

Red metal hose nozzle with ergonomic grip. Choose from shower, jet, mist, soaker, cone or flat spray settings.

Heavy duty, high quality with an extra durable cast metal handle. Easy to attach.

This hose nozzle has been absolutely wonderful for watering my new garden and very durable.  I turn the nozzle to shower when I water the entire garden at once, I turn it to mist when my plants need a pick me up during very hot hours of the day, and turn it to soak for my tomato plants in the containers.  My son really enjoys helping me too!  And as we all understand how much fun it is for children to play with the hose, I can relax knowing that we are wasting less water while he plays because of our water saving hose nozzle.

Moisture Sensor - Lawn & garden soil

Buy it: As low as: $2.98
Moisture Sensor lets you know the humidity of your soil. The easy to read graduated dial indicates if the soil is dry, moist or wet so that a lawn or garden can be watered accordingly. Save water and save money with this durable conservation aid.

Head / dial constructed of sturdy molded plastic. 8 inch metal stem for penetrating to root level. No batteries or electricity required. Instructions and watering tips printed on back of overleaf.

This is an absolute must for all you gardeners out there…especially to those of you who, like me, are “new” at gardening.  The moisture sensor lets me know when my plants need water, when they have just enough water, and when they have been watered too much.  In my case, most of the time it reads “dry”.  It can also be used for your lawn.  Very cool product!

Basic Outdoor Lawn & Garden Eco-Kit

Buy it: As low as: $6.99

The complete Outdoor Lawn & Garden ECO-KIT. Save water outdoors with this useful kit of conservation tools. Includes a high quality hose nozzle, hose leak repair parts, hose washers, lawn water ruler, thread sealing tape and a handy sprinkler gauge.

Individual descriptions: 1 1/2″ Rain/sprinkler gauge, yellow base stake with easy to read numbers. Gauge measures rainfall and other precipitation events. SPRINKLER GAUGE is a simple and important step in conservation. Gauge is high quality molded plastic with molded stake that helps in closely managing lawn and garden watering. Lawn Watering Ruler: Sprinkler gauge water ruler with printed instructions. An easy and accurate way to monitor lawn and garden watering. HOSE NOZZLE with ergonomic grip lets you choose from 9 settings: shower, mist, jet, full, center, flat, vertical, soaker or cone spray. Heavy duty plastic, high quality, light and easy to use. Our most popular hose nozzle. REPLACEMENT HOSE WASHERS for all standard hoses, hose nozzles and hose end sprinklers. Sheet of 12 washers. HOSE LEAK REPAIR PARTS help to quickly and easily repair defective ends or leaky portions of a garden hose. THREAD SEALING TAPE stops any leaking due to uneven or damaged threads. Save water and save money with this durable conservation aid. A complete earth friendly water conservation kit for the outdoors: 8 piece lawn and garden kit. Comes complete with instructions.

This is the wonderful gift NRG is giving away on my blog.  It has everything you need for ensuring you are not wasting water while using your hose.  We REALLY needed this as our spout/hose connection has been dripping terribly ever since we moved into our new home.  (Thankfully we rarely needed to use it until this summer).  I used NRG’s drip gauge to measure how much water is wasted while the hose is connected to the spout and turned on.  According to the gauge, we would be wasting up to 54,000 gpy of water (if our spout/hose was turned on).  That’s a lot of precious water being wasted!  The hose repair parts are great!  It also has a sprinkler gauge so we know how much water our lawn is getting and it lets us know when to turn the sprinklers off.  Also, included in the kit was another great hoze nozzle with 9 settings to choose from!

Drip Gauge Water Measuring Vial 

Buy it: As low as: $0.35
 

Drip gauge water measuring vial helps build awareness of what tiny leaks really cost. Simply collect water for 15 seconds in the plastic vial to see what’s being lost per day or per year!

Save water and save money with this handy conservation tool.

5″ Rain Gauge

Buy it: As low as: $2.19
5″ Conventional rain gauge. High quality molded plastic. 

Gauge measures rainfall and other precipitation events, such as heavy dew and mist - indicating how much watering you need to do to make up the difference. Avoid unnecessary sprinkler use, save water and save money. A simple and important step in conservation.

We use this next to our garden so we can measure how much rainfall and sprinkler water our garden is receiving.  It’s nice to keep track of our outdoor water usage.

I want to thank New Resources Group for supplying all of these products for review.  I strongly encourage you to use products to promote water conservation in and around your home.   Remember: water is a commodity and so not to be taken advantage of.

Bridget James

(author of) The Curious Case of Mommyhood