Be Hydro-Logical
FACT: More water is used in the bathroom than any other place in the home.
ACTION: Turn off the water when you brush your teeth and shave. Install low-flow toilets, shower heads and faucet aerators and you’ll save thousands of gallons/liters of water a year. It’s a savings that should reduce your water bill.
FACT: Today there are many more people using the same amount of water we had 100 years ago.
ACTION: Don’t waste water. Use it wisely and cut back wherever you can.
FACT: A dripping faucet can waste up to 2,000 gallons/7,600 liters of water a year. A leaky toilet can waste as much as 200 gallons/260 liters of water a day.
ACTION: Check your plumbing and repair any leaks as soon as possible.
FACT: Lead in household plumbing can get into your water.
ACTION: Find out if your pipes are lead or if lead solder was used to connect the pipes. If you have lead in your plumbing system,when you turn on the tap for drinking or cooking, let the water run until it’s cold. Never use water from the hot tap for cooking or drinking.
FACT: What’s dumped on the ground, poured down the drain, or tossed in the trash can pollute the sources of our drinking water.
ACTION: Take used motor oil and other automotive fluids to an automotive service center that recycles them. Patronize automotive centers and stores that accept batteries for recycling. Take leftover paint, solvents, and toxic household products to special collection centers.
FACT: On average, 50% - 70% of household water is used outdoors for watering lawns and gardens.
ACTION: Make the most of the water you use outdoors by never watering at the hottest times of the day or when it’s windy. Turnoff your sprinklers when it’s raining. Plant low-water use grasses and shrubs to reduce your lawn watering by 20% - 50%.
FACT: Lawn and garden pesticides and fertilizers can pollute the water.
ACTION: Reduce your use of pesticides and fertilizers and look for safer alternatives to control weeds and bugs. For example, geraniums repel Japanese beetles; garlic and mint repel aphids; and marigolds repel whiteflies.
FACT: Although most people get their water from regulated community water supplies, others rely on their own private wells and are responsible for their own water quality.
ACTION: If you own a well, contact your local health department or Cooperative Extension Service representative to find out how to test the quality of your well water.
FACT: Your city government and state officials regularly make decisions that affect the quality of your drinking water resources.
ACTION: As the population grows and housing and industrial interest expand, attend local planning and zoning meetings and ask what’s being done to protect water resources from contamination. Let elected officials know that you expect them to use their hydro-logic to protect the water.
FACT: Public water utilities regularly test the quality of the drinking water they provide to customers.
ACTION: Call your water utility and ask for a copy of their latest water quality report.
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