Earth Day Tip #5: Conserve Water

Water is one of life's basic necessities but we take its limited supply for granted every day. Yes, the Earth replenishes its water supply naturally but people are using it at a rate much faster than the Earth can keep up, making it an increasingly scarce commodity. This makes sense if you think back on our ecological footprints and realize that no one's footprint was less than 1.

Only 3% of all the water on Earth is water we can use to live. That's it! There's never going to be more, only less. We need to start conserving water in order to meet future needs as well as preserve the current environment. Come on, EVERY living thing on this planet needs water to live. Let's stop wasting it!

Hey New Yorkers! If you call 3-1-1 and request a water saving kit, they'll send you one for free! You'll need to know your block and lot number, which you can find in seconds on NYC's homepage.

Here are some ways that everyone can help conserve water at home:

• Run the dishwasher only when it's completely full to potentially save up to 1,000 gallons of water a month

• Check for any leaks in your faucets and toilets
  

• Water your lawn in the mornings and evenings when it's cooler to minimize evaporation

• Replace shower heads with water efficient models, saving up to 750 gallons of water a month

• Collect the water you use to rinse fruits, vegetables and rice to water your houseplants

• When I shower, I turn off the water when I'm soaping up my body and my hair, saving more than 150 gallons of water a month (hey, Jennifer Aniston does it too!)

• Wait until you have a full load of laundry before you start the wash or make sure to set the water level to match the size of the load.

• Turn off the water when you brush your teeth and when you shave to save 300 gallons of water a month

• My friend Mike taught me this rhyme to help conserve water: If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down. Best applied at home (not at work) when you know you won't have any guests over

Do you have any other water-saving tips to share? Share it below in the comment section!

© Connie Hum 2009