Water On the Mind - 8 Tips

Water has been on our minds a lot around our household, and maybe not for reasons that first come to mind. After 10 years of planning and waiting, a new dam was put in for the lake that we reside on, and while it was in the process of being built, we looked at the lake bottom, it looked a bit like looking at the surface of mars. BUT, as of this week, the lake will be filling with whatever water comes from the sky and from natural springs that are in it.

Water is such an important natural resource, a life-source for our physical bodies, and for everything that lives on our planet. Now that it is getting warmer in our area, people are more inclined to be filling pools, watering gardens and lawns, washing their own cars, and setting up sprinkler-toys for their children to run through and play with.

Many water conservation techniques will also save you money, let me share a few with you that are good reminders to hear on a regular basis:

1. If you fill a bathtub with water, you may use up to 70 gallons of water, but if you take a 5-minute shower you use only a fraction of that amount - 10-25 gallons
2. If you have older washers that need replacing, replace them with high-efficiency washers, some use up to 50% less water and electricity.
3. If you use a dishwasher, don't turn it on until it is full. We only run ours once a day.
4. Repair dripping faucets - I read somewhere that a drip a second wastes over 3000 gallons per year.
5. If your toilet needs replacing, replace with a water-conserving toilet. They have them with special flush mechanisms so that even though you are using less water, there is enough power to flush efficiently and quickly.
6. Toilet leaking? Put food coloring in the tank, and if it is leaking the color will appear in the bowl in approximately 15 minutes. Keep toilets sealed so they don't leak.
   
7. Don't run water until it is cold enough to drink, fill a container or pitcher with water and keep a supply of cold water in the refrigerator at all times.
   
8. Don't run water constantly while brushing your teeth. Turn off between uses.