Be
Water Wise
By Shelly Bokman
Baby, it’s hot outside! Before we’re tempted to rename one of our
favorite spots “Folsom Puddle,” let’s remember there are
lots of ways for families to have a positive impact on the water crisis.
Both inside and out, the biggest wasters of water are those leaky pipes—
and we often don’t even realize we have them. So take a few minutes and
make sure you aren’t leaking. You can check your toilet for leaks by
putting a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank; if it creeps into
the toilet
bowl without flushing, you have a leak.
The
mercury is up and water levels are way down, but families can have a powerfully
positive impact on the drought and successfully get through the rest
of this long, dry summer by adopting these simple water conservation habits
and passing them on to the next generation:
Indoor Tips:
• Many of those leaky pipes (the biggest water wasters) are easily fixed
with a roll of inexpensive plumbing tape.
• Fill your child’s bath with a few inches less water than usual.
Kids like to splash around; they really don’t need much water to have
fun and get clean.
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Switch to a low-flow shower head. They can save from 500 to 800 gallons
of water a month.
• Use the trash can for small items like a tissue instead of putting them
in the toilet and wasting a flush on them.
• Create a “toilet dam.” It only takes 2 gallons of water
to flush the toilet, yet many hold up to 10 gallons. Fix this by filling a plastic
bottle with pebbles or water and placing it in your toilet tank. It reduces
the amount of tank water per flush.
• Skip the garbage disposal, which uses 50 to 150 gallons of water a month!
Try composting those kitchen scraps instead. Go online to SacramentoParent.com
for composting tips from our May
2008 Green Scene column.
• Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator so you don’t waste
water waiting for the faucet to run cold every time someone is thirsty.
• Fill a pan or the sink with water to rinse veggies instead of letting
the water run.
• Plan ahead and take frozen items out of the freezer so they defrost
on their own, without running hot water over them.
Outdoor Tips:
• Switch to watering your lawn every other day.
• Water in the cool, early morning when less water will be lost to evaporation.
• Wash your car over the lawn so you don’t have to water it that
day. And turn off the hose while you scrub.
• Use a broom to clean off the patio, driveway or sidewalks instead of
the hose. What a great job for energetic kids!
• Forget the sprinkler and buy an inexpensive wading pool for the kids
to play in.
I know that I take the twist of the faucet and the water I use so easily for
granted. But this is a great time to rethink my habits and to teach my children
how to be water wise, not water wasters!
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