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8 Water Conservation Tips

Barbara Feiner — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 16:39:14 +0000

The BP oil spill reminds us that our oceans are precious and water is not an infinite resource.

The Nature Conservancy and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power offer the following tips for conserving water:

Install a low-flow showerhead to limit the amount of water used in your daily shower. You’ll save 500 to 800 gallons of water each month.
Shorten showers by 1 or 2 minutes, which will save about 375 gallons per month.

Celebrate Your Toilet

Administrator — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:07:53 +0000

Billions of people live in the kind of squalor that was eradicated long ago in the rich world. It is a global water and sanitation crisis that deserves our undivided The-issueattention NOW (well, yesterday, to be exact)… especially since there is a lack of political will to push through changes that could benefit the poorest and most vulnerable people. Here are just two shocking statistics:

884 million people don’t have clean water
40% of the world’s population suffer without a safe toilet, that’s 2.5 billion people!

Fortunately, there are organizations dedicated to providing sanitation and clean water to the world’s poorest people. End Water Poverty is one of them and I am committed to helping them raise awareness about the critical issues and motivating people around the globe to take action.

Here’s one easy way to take action and it will just take a minute or less! Sign the End Water Poverty Petition, urging global leaders to specifically address the lack of toilets. What happens when something as basic as a toilet is unavailable?

Is Your Clothes Washer an ENERGY STAR?

Barbara Feiner — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 13:34:11 +0000

How much water does an ENERGY STAR-rated clothes washer save?

It can literally cut your water usage in half.

A standard washer uses 32.5 gallons of water per load, while an ENERGY STAR-rated machine uses only 15 gallons, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

ENERGY STAR-rated washers also allow you to adjust water levels for smaller loads, and they spin-dry your clothes more effectively, which reduces dryer time.

Green Your Washing Machine

Barbara Feiner — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:58:40 +0000

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), heating the water in your clothes washer accounts for 90% of the energy used when doing laundry.

As the DOE explains:

There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy used for washing clothes: Use less water and use cooler water. Unless you're dealing with oily stains, the warm- or cold-water setting on your machine will generally do a good job of cleaning your clothes. Switching your temperature setting from hot to warm can cut a load's energy use in half.

Here are some additional tips:

Look for the WaterSense Label

Barbara Feiner — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:27:22 +0000

If you’re dedicated to organic living and conservation, look for the WaterSense logo when purchasing or replacing a toilet. NSF International, a nonprofit certification agency, is working with the Environmental Protection Agency to verify toilets’ water efficiency and performance.

The EPA launched the WaterSense program last year to highlight high-efficiency products and services designed to conserve water, one of our most precious natural resources. This voluntary labeling program is available to all companies that partner with the EPA and manufacture, sell or distribute household plumbing fixtures.

Eco-Friendly Toilets

Barbara Feiner — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 17:56:55 +0000

Part of making a commitment to organic living is water conservation—including your daily bathroom breaks.

Atlanta, Georgia-based VitrA manufactures eco-friendly toilets with a dual-flush technology system that allows you to conserve water. Two sizes are available: 0.8 gpf or 1.6 gpf (gallons per flush). The toilets save anywhere from 2,500 to 15,000 gallons of water annually, depending on family usage. You conserve approximately 40% more water with each flush.