Since July is almost over, we’ll be taking down the water poll in a couple of days. Please take it if you haven’t. It’s in the sidebar.
In glancing at the poll results, I’m a little surprised that only four voters have said that they wear clothes more than once before washing. But we did include that pesky “At least 5 of the above” answer, so maybe that accounts for part of it.
You know I’m curious though.
If you don’t wear your clothes more than once before washing, what are your reasons? Of course, many kids get their clothes too dirty to …read more

Not tricks exactly, but they’ll work like magic to keep you from wasting water. Most of us know about low-flow shower heads, but have you thought of all the other little ways to save water?
Didn’t finish that glass of water? Pour it into your window box or the flower bed outside instead of down the sink.
Drop an ice cube? Your dog or cat might like that in the water bowl, or you can place it in the bird bath.
Changing the water in the fish tank? Feed it to the plants. They’ll love the nitrogen!
The kids insist on running through the …read more

We’re not finished splashing about with water conservation month yet.
There’s still much to discuss, but since it’s July 15, let’s take a look at our posts so far.
Conserving in the Kitchen & Bath
One Small Step: Scrape Instead of Rinse
Dishwashers Use Less Water
Do you really need a water filter?
No Runny While Soapy
Easy Toilet Leak Test
Water Awareness
Water for People
What’s Important About 350?
Your Water Footprint
What’s Your Yearly Water Bill?
Reusable Water Bottle Reviews
Green Product Review: SIGG Water Bottle
Green Product Review: Klean Kanteen Water Bottle
Other Water-related Posts
Saving Water Outside
Proper Disposal of Oil
Water Water Everywhere
Green Review: Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Tablets
Please check out our water conservation poll …read more

Ever wondered why you leave the water running away while you scrub your hands? It’s probably just habit.
The American Red Cross recommends washing hands with soap for at least 15 seconds. If you wash your hands seven times a day, that’s 105 seconds of clean, wasted water added to your water bill. If you have a family of four, that’s 420 seconds of running water down the drain each day.
Some tips on turning off while scrubbing:
• Wet hands, apply soap, then use your elbow to turn off lever-style or long-handled faucets. Those are my favorite faucets for that very reason. …read more

H20 Conserve offers a quick test to help you understand your water footprint. It’s not just about low-flow shower heads. The test also looks at the hidden water use inside your food choices and driving habits.
I learned a few things when I took my test. If I “let my yellow mellow” I’d save 10 or more gallons of water a day. And if I didn’t eat meat or dairy, I could reduce my water use by hundreds of gallons a day. It takes 1,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef!
Learn more and take your water footprint test …read more

According to the EPA, the average household spends as much as $500 a year on water and sewage bills.
Assuming there’s not a noticeable increase in the cost of water service in your area, paying closer attention to your water bill can be a great way to gauge your use of water.
The EPA says that with a few simple changes you can save up to $170 a year for water.
One suggestion from the EPA is to replace older toilets with WaterSense labeled models. They aren’t weird-looking. The one to the right is one of many WaterSense toilets available.
If you’re building a …read more

We think water conservation is such an important issue, we’re devoting a whole month to it. We’ll still slide in a few other topics, but there’s so much to talk about when it comes to water.
This month, we’ll discuss water savings in the bathroom, kitchen, lawn and anyplace there’s water. Some topics include gray water, rain barrels, rock gardens, low-flow shower heads, leak checking, water bottles and more. I think we might even talk about composting toilets!
Since summer is a lazy month of trying to keep cool, we’re giving you a break from a green challenge. Yet, we want you …read more

Misuse of water isn’t just bad for the environment, it’s also bad news for your wallet. Here’s how to save water and still water efficiently.

Water at night. Or you could water in the early morning, but usually nighttime (devoid of sun) gives you less evaporation time, which means your water goes further.
Lose some grass: Reduce your lawn size by a decent amount when possible. Rocks, a patio, or drought resistant flowers use less water than your thirsty lawn.
Be extra careful when positioning your sprinklers. The sidewalk doesn’t need watering.
Mulch to prevent some evaporation – mulch holds water, sort of like …read more

Down the Drain is a useful project for anyone, and it can be done all year round. Being a science and math major, well, back in the day I was, I really like the scientific approach to this fun experiment. Of course we all want to save water – we can’t live without it.
Down the Drain encourages youth to track their water use. This project was developed by the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) which is located at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Who can participate?:
The project was developed for 4th-8th grade age kids, …read more

This week we’re talking about bathtub and shower audits. Yesterday we discussed some basic all around tips for greening your tub or shower – today we’ll talk water habits.
The habit discussion isn’t that long. You can sum it up in about three words…
Use less water.
Not enough? Ok, more tips…
First off there’s the whole, which saves more water argument, showers or baths. According to the Environment Agency, “A 5-minute shower uses about a third of the water of a bath. But remember that power showers can use more water than a bath in less than 5 minutes.” It’s really variable. …read more