Tags
aerator, cistern, conserve water, low-flow shower head, Massachusetts water bans, rain barrel, rain chain, toilet leaks, water bans
***Listen to the WATD Green Quick Fixes 5 Podcast***
To be green, you’ve got to be blue!
Modern plumbing and the ability to access potable water so easily has made us lose our appreciation of water as the precious resource that it is. In summer, water is something we think about more. Its only when water supplies start running dangerously dry that water becomes more valuable than gold. Without access, society would be mayhem!
Massachusetts has a few dozen water use restrictions in July 2011—the official map was updated July 19th before the heat wave. Plymouth. Middleboro, Raynham, Wareham, and Marion on the Southshore have bans. Near Boston the towns of Lincoln, Danvers, and Middleton are short on water. Go to Mass.gov/dep and search “water use” and open the Municipal Water Use Restrictions water ban map for details about your city.
To conserve water supplies–the whole year through–reduce water use and capture rainwater. You can help reduce the human drain on water resources and you’ll also start to see your water bill go down.
1. Green Quick Fixes you can do in the house:
-Turn off taps as much as possible — while washing dishes and brushing teeth. Water lawns at dawn and dusk only.
-Fix leaks. Toilet leaks are the worst! The U.S. Geological Survey claims that most American toilets have a constant leak of 22 gallons per day. If your street has 10 homes on it, in one year’s time it’s is leaking about 80,300 gallons. SEE COMMENT BELOW FOR HOW TO FIND A LEAK
-Install water-saving plumbing equipment.
This model from Moen is deluxe at around $20.
Today’s low-flow shower heads cut water usage in half from those of the early 1990s. Water conservationists always say you should try to shorten your shower by one minute. This has always been my toughest challenge — especially in winter! With the low-flow shower head, I don’t feel as guilty.
