Do You Have Water Sense?
Visit EPA’s website and learn about saving water (and money!) in your home and for your landscaping. Go to Water Sense
Use Water Wisely
There are lots of ways to save water, and they all start with you! Learn 100 ways to lower your water bills and protect our water supply for the future at Water – Use it Wisely. Follow this link to go there: http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve/index.php
Wasting Water is Wierd
There is a moment when using water becomes wasting water. Meet Rip the Drip and get tips on how to not waste water by clicking this link
Water & Energy
Most people don’t realize the considerable amount of energy it takes to deliver and treat the water they use. In fact, American public water supply and treatment facilities consume about 56 billion kilowatt-hours per year – enough electricity to power more than 5 million homes for an entire year.
Leaky Pipes – FactoidsDid you know each day approximately six billion gallons of treated drinking water are “lost” primarily due to system leaks throughout the United States? This is approximately 14% of the nation’s total daily water production. (Reported by American Society of Civil Engineers)
Did you know if every home replaced their old toilet with a new high efficiency toilet, more than 900 billion gallons of water would be saved per year ? enough to supply almost 10 million U.S. households?
Test Your WaterSense!
How well do you understand your own water usage? Do you know how to best save water in your home? Test your knowledge with the following quiz, and find out if you’re a WaterSense novice, expert or genius!
From WaterSense, a program sponsored by the EPA. Scroll down for answers.
1. The average family of four uses approximately __ gallons of water per day?
A. 50
B. 100
C. 250
D. 400
2. How much of the water on earth is available for people’s everyday use?
A. More than 50%
B. 28%
C. Less than 1%
D. 12%
3. How much water can you save per day by turning off the tap while brushing your teeth in the morning and at bedtime?
A. Up to 2 gallons
B. Up to 4 gallons
C. Up to 8 gallons
D. Up to 6 gallons
4. Which of the following uses less water?
A. Taking a five minute shower
B. Taking a bath
5. In the average household, which of the following wastes the MOST water per day?
A. Running the tap while washing dishes
B. Using a garbage disposal
C. A leaky toilet
D. Long showers
6. How much water is saved per flush with a high-efficiency toilet?
A. 0.6 to 1.9 gallons
B. 2.2 to 5.7 gallons
C. More than 6 gallons
7. How much water used for irrigating lawns and gardens, on average, is wasted due to over-watering and evaporation?
A. 50%
B. 25%
C. 15%
D. 10%
8. A water-efficient irrigation system may include which features?
A. Drip irrigation
B. Moisture sensors
C. Rain shut-off device
D. All of the above
9. Which of the following uses less water?
A. Washing dishes under a running tap
B. Washing dishes in a fully-loaded automatic dishwasher without pre- rinsing
10. Between 1950 and 2000, the U.S. population grew by 89 percent; approximately how much has our water use grown in the same period?
A. 200%
B. 50%
C. 100%
D. 25%
11. High-efficiency washing machines save about how much water per load compared to traditional models?
A. 2-5 gallons
B. 7-10 gallons
C. 11-13 gallons
D. 14 gallons or more
12. Easily corrected household water leaks account for what percentage of the average water bill?
A. 2%
B. 4%
C. 6%
D. 8%
Answer Key
1. D
It may seem hard to believe, but the average person uses 100 gallons of water each day – that’s enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses. This water use can easily be cut by as much as 30% if American households took a few simple steps to use water more efficiently.
2. C
About 75 percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water, but less than 1 percent of this is available for people to use. The rest is salt water, locked in inaccessible locations underground or is frozen in polar ice caps and glaciers.
3. C
The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of two gallons per minute; by simply turning the tap off, you can save more than 100 gallons of water per person each month.
4. A
Taking a five minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons of water, while a full tub requires about 70 gallons. If you take a bath, stopper the drain immediately and adjust the temperature as you fill the tub.
5. C
A leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water every day! To tell if your toilet is leaking, place a drop of food coloring in the tank; if the color shows in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.
6. B If your toilet is from 1992 or earlier, you probably have an inefficient model that uses between 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. New high-efficiency models use less than 1.3 gallons per flush- that’s 60% to 80% less water than their less efficient counterparts.
7. A Water-efficient irrigation systems help save water, potentially more than 11 billion gallons per year across the United States. This is equal to the amount of water used by 3,200 garden hoses flowing constantly for one year!
8. D Inefficient or poorly maintained irrigation systems can waste water and money each month. Look for sprinklers that produce droplets-not mist. Systems with rain shutoff devices and moisture sensors reduce excess watering and run-off.
9. B To waste the least amount of water in the kitchen, operate your automatic dishwasher only when it’s fully loaded. Filling the sink or a bowl instead of running water can save an average of 25 gallons.
10. A With demand outstripping supply, 36 states anticipate some degree of water shortage by 2013.
11. D High-efficiency washing machines use less than 27 gallons of water per load, compared to traditional models that use an average of 41 gallons. To achieve even greater savings, adjust water levels in the washing machine to match the size of the load.
12. D Leaky faucets that drip at the rate of one drop per second can waste up to 2,700 gallons of water each year. If you’re unsure if you have a leak, read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.
SCORING
9 or more questions correct:
Congratulations, you’re a WaterSense genius! You understand that water is a precious resource that must be used more efficiently. To learn more about the WaterSense program and how to be more water-efficient, visit the WaterSense Web site.
6-8 questions correct:
You’re a WaterSense expert! Learn more about why water efficiency is important and how you can become more water-efficient, visit the WaterSense Web site.
Less than 6 questions correct:
You’re a WaterSense novice. But that means there’s room for improvement! Learn more about why water efficiency is important and how you can become more water-efficient, visit the WaterSense Web site.
Thank you for testing your WaterSense. Remember every drop counts! Please learn more about saving water by visiting the Water Sense website.