Wednesday, July 20, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Using water wisely is still a good ideaIts hard to believe we need to conserve water when it has rained so much this year. But metro Atlanta does not have an unlimited water supply. We have little groundwater as the region sits primarily on crystalline rock, like Stone Mountain, and this rock does not hold much water for wells. Most of our water supply comes from surface water - rivers and lakes. The Chattahoochee, metro Atlantas largest river, is one of the smallest rivers in the country to serve a major metropolitan area. If we do not begin to use water more efficiently now, we will not have enough water in the future. Efficiently using water by making small changes in the way you use water every day will not only save you money, but also save the water supply and protect the environment. There are a number of ways to use water wisely, and they all start with you. If your home was built before 1992, consider replacing your showerheads and put aerators on your faucets. They are inexpensive, easy to install and can save your family more than 500 gallons of water a week. The next time you take a shower, keep it under five minutes and save up to 1,000 gallons a month. Taking care of leaks is a great way to save water. To see if your toilet leaks, put food coloring in the tank. If the water in the bowl changes color before you flush, you have a leak. Fix the leaks and you can save more than 600 gallons a month. Listen for dripping faucets. Fix it and you can save your family more than 500 gallons a week. If your toilet is more than 10 years old, consider replacing it with a new more efficient model. Old toilets are big water wasters. You can save big on your water bill, enough to recover the cost of the new toilet in 1-2 years. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save up to four gallons of water a minute. Thats up to 200 gallons of water a week for a family of four. If you have children, it is a great opportunity to teach children responsibility and ways to pitch in around the home and to conserve for their future. Outside the home, you can save more than 100 gallons of water when you use a hose nozzle to wash your car. Use a broom instead of hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk and save up to 80 gallons of water every time. Dont forget that we now have year round state-wide outdoor water restrictions. If you live at an odd-numbered address, water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. If your address is an even number, water on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. No one waters on Fridays. For more tips, go to www.wateruseitwisely.com. |
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