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Home Water Conservation - A Simple List of Things You Can Do Today |
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Written by Jim Dudra
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I've lived in the Northeast my entire life, and despite an occasional drought during the summer, water-shortages have never been a major concern. Why? Living up here, you're sure to bump into a lake, pond, river, or stream without having to go too far. It wasn't until after learning about the current droughts over in Australia, South Africa, and England, that I began to question my in-home uses of fresh water.
If you've ever Googled the term "water saving tips" or something similar, you are bound to find thousands of household hints you can implement. For this article I've selected a few of the simplest, yet most effective ways to reduce your household fresh-water consumption.
Tip 1: Install a low-flow showerhead. Look for models which offer 2.75gpm or lower. This is the easiest and quickest way to reduce both your water and energy (heat) consumption.
Tip 2: Check for leaks around your house. Assuming a faucet is dripping at one drop per second, you'll use 2,700 gallons in a year.
Tip 3: Only use dishwasher/washing machines when they are filled. Also, look for appliances with the Energy Star rating.
Tip 4: Use waterless car washing products when cleaning your vehicles. A traditional bucket and sponge wash can use up to 140 gallons of water!
Tip 5: Don't leave water on when brushing your teeth, shaving, washing face, etc. Basically, use it only when you need it.
These are only a few tips of the thousands that are out there. I'd recommend these other sites if you need more information:
http://www.wateruseitwisely.com http://www.waterconserve.info http://www.ecotouch.net
Lastly, if you're curious about what the water supply is like in your area, the US Drought Monitor has an excellent site showing water levels across the United States. They can be found here - http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html.
About the Author
James Dudra is an ecopreneur from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He currently owns and runs eco touch LLC, which sells a complete line of earth-friendly waterless car care products at http://www.ecotouch.net
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