Every Drop Counts: Conserve WATER Pamela R. Turner, Ph.D. Laurie Cantrell, MHS Winter School - January 22, 2008 How much do you really know about the water you use?

Fun Facts about Water Human body is 66% water A living tree is about 75% water Almost 80% of the earth’s surface is covered with water Nearly 80% of the earth’s surface is covered with water and you are 66% water. Even the trees that surround you are primarily water.

Water is everywhere, so why do we need to conserve it? So, if 80 percent of the earth is water then why do we need to conserve it?

Water Jeopardy This much of the earth’s water is suitable for drinking. What is ____________? ANSWER: Less than 1% Obviously, if only 1% of the water on earth is drinkable and the population continues to grow, we have to reduce use or find ways to use the “non-drinkable” water. Water is relatively cheap, so we tend to waste it.

Average Rainfall 7 ½ inches in Phoenix, AZ 15 inches in Denver, CO 22 inches in Honolulu, HI 36 inches in Seattle, WA 40 inches in New York City 50 inches in Atlanta, GA 67 inches in Mobile, AL 153 inches Ketchikan, AK In the US rainfall varies greatly. In some states rainfall of 20 inches may be considered drought conditions; whereas in many western states the average annual rainfall is not even 20 inches.

UGA encourages faculty, staff, students and citizens to conserve water as seriously low water levels in North Georgia and drought conditions throughout the state continue to threaten the water supply. http://www.uga.edu/aboutUGA/water_tips.html The entire University is working together to educate students, faculty, staff and the community to reduce water use and learn to use water wisely. Visit the website for water saving tips. Let’s learn more about water and how each of us can easily reduce the amount we use.

Water Jeopardy Category: Indoor Water Use Answer: 60 gallons What is _________________? ANSWER: What is the average amount of water used by the average consumer each day?

Water Jeopardy Category: Indoor Water Use Answer: 9.5 gallons What is ________________? ANSWER: What is the average water loss per day from indoor leaks? This includes dripping faucets and leaky toilets.

Water Jeopardy Category: Indoor Water Use Answer: Toilet What is ______________? ANSWER: What is the largest water user in an average home? The toilet accounts for over one quarter of the water used in your home. (26.8%)

Residential Indoor Uses of Water Other – 2.3% Leaks – 13.7% Dishwasher – 1.4% Toilet – 26.8% Bath – 1.7% Faucet – 15.7% How much water do you think you use? Shower – 16.7% Clothes Washer – 21.7% Source: Awwa Research Foundation (1999)

Water Jeopardy Households use less water during this time of day. What is ____________? ANSWER: morning

How Much Water Do Georgians Use? Gallons Per Person Per Day Winter Summer Ranking Comment 50 to 65 65 to 80 Efficient GOOD Water Saver 70 91 Average OK Exceeds 70 Exceeds 100 Inefficient POOR Water Waster Georgians tend to use more water than consumers in other states. If you use 70 gallons per person per day in the winter you are an average Georgia consumer. In the summer most consumer use about 20 gallons more. Source: Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District Water Supply & Water Conservation Plan, Georgia Department of Natural Resources Water Conservation Plan Guidelines (Draft)

How much water do you use? Estimate the number of times you do the following on a day you are at home. Shower Flush the toilet Brush your teeth Shave Do a load of laundry Run the dishwasher Every consumer should have an idea of how much water they use. A good way to calculate your water use is to add up the number of times your activities use water. For example, how many showers do you take a day and how often do you flush the toilet? Estimate your family’s water use.

Estimated daily water use 1 x Shower 25 gallons = 2.5 gpm x 10 minutes 4 x Flush 32 gallons = 8 gallons x 4 flushes [2 x Brush teeth] + [1 x Shave] 15 gallons = 3 gpm x 5 minutes 1 x laundry 41 gallons 1 x dishwasher 15 gallons TOTAL = 128 Gallons Water Saver or Water Waster? Here is an example of one consumer’s water use over one day. This consumer took 1 shower, flushed the toilet four times, brushed his teeth twice, shaved once and did a load of laundry and one of dishes. To get a good estimate you need to know how much water your shower, faucets, toilet, washing machine and dishwasher use. Include all family members to get a household estimate then divide by the number of people in your house. For example, if two people lived in this house and used a total of their water use would be 64 gallons per person (for a total of 128 gallons). In this example of a single consumer household, is he or she a water saver or water waster? ANSWER: water waster

Wash laundry & dishes with full loads Always turn off running water 5 Easy Water Saving Tips Wash laundry & dishes with full loads Always turn off running water Take shorter showers Eliminate any and all leaks Reduce the flow of toilets & showerheads Today we will talk about 5 easy ways you can reduce the amount of water you use in your home. By reducing your water consumption you also save money on your water bill.

Wash a full load of laundry Average water use Older washing machine 41 gallons New washing machine < 28 gallons For small loads of laundry, adjust the water setting to a lower level. The first tip is to always Wash full loads of laundry and dishes. A washing machine uses a lot of water, so if you are in the market to buy a new machine look for a model that uses less water. The newer horizontal axis, or front loading machines, use less than half the amount of water of the older top-loading machines. If you don’t want to buy a new machine, just make sure that you only do laundry when you have a full load. You can save 300 to 800 gallons of water a month by washing only full loads of laundry.

Wash a full load of dishes Average water use: Older machine 8 to 15 gallons Newer machine 4 to 7 gallons Don’t pre-rinse, just scrape the dishes Just a few dishes? Wash in the sink or a dish pan Rinse with sprayer or in a pan The same thing is true for washing full loads of dishes in the dishwasher and the newer machines use about half the amount of water as the older models. One of the greatest water wasters with dishes is pre-rinsing or washing dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher. A dishwasher is designed to clean dirty dishes. The appliance manufacturers recommend scraping dishes rather than pre-rinsing prior to putting them in the dishwasher. Most dishwashers will clean the dishes without pre-rinsing. The only time you may need to do that is when the dishes are washed only once a week or so. In this case, it may make sense to wash the dishes in a sink filled with water.

Always turn off running water Average faucet water flow: Older 2 to 3 gallons per minute New ≤ 1.5 gallons per minute Turn the water on and off when: Brushing your teeth Shaving Keep drinking water in refrigerator Defrost food in the refrigerator Compost instead of using the garbage disposal The second tip is to ALWAYS turn off running water. A major water waster in many homes is a running faucet. People brush their teeth and shave while letting the water run down the drain. You can save several gallons every day just by turning the water on and off while brushing your teeth and shaving. You could also try shaving or brushing your teeth in the shower. Other ways to save water are to keep chilled water in the refrigerator for drinking. This can reduce running water and you can reduce or eliminate the use of ice to cool the water. It is also better to defrost food in the refrigerator instead of under running water. If you can compost that is much better than using a garbage disposal.

Always save clean running water Collect water in buckets while waiting for shower water to warm Use it for: Watering indoor plants Mopping the floor Household chores As you are warming the shower water, put a bucket in to collect the clean water. This water can be used for several things in your home, such as watering plants, mopping the floor and a variety of household chores.

Gray water Before reusing water or using “gray water” from bathtubs, showers, sinks and washing machines, contact your local health department. Several communities do not allow the use of gray water. In many communities you can’t reuse water that has soap or detergents in it. This is referred to as “gray water.” Before reusing water, contact your local health department or city or county water office.

Take shorter showers Reduce your 10 minute shower to 5 minutes Save up to 80 gallons of water Take a “navy shower” Turn the water off while you lather up and shampoo Install a toggle switch to maintain a consistent temperature Lower your bath water Follow the 5-inch rule The third tip is to Take shorter showers. Many people spend 10 minutes in the shower at least once if not twice a day. A good way to save water is to cut your shower time in half or take what is often called a “navy shower.” A navy shower is when you wet down, turn the water off, lather up and then turn the water back on to rinse off. To control the temperature you can install a toggle switch that cuts the flow of water at the nozzle. Depending on the flow rate of your showerhead, you can save up to 80 gallons. Most showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute. If you like to take a bath, you should fill the tub about 1/3 full or with 5 inches of water.

Eliminate any and all leaks LEAKY FAUCET One drop per second = 9.5 gallons a day LEAKY TOILET 15 gallons of water a day lost FINDING TOILET LEAKS Remove the toilet tank cover and put in 5 to 10 drops of food coloring. Wait 30 minutes. If any color leaks into toilet bowl then you have a leak and you should fix it immediately. The fourth tip is Eliminate the leaks in your house. The average consumer loses 9.5 gallons a day through leaking faucets and toilets. Just one dripping faucet wastes 9.5 gallons in a day. If you also have toilet leak, you are wasting even more water. Be sure to turn faucets off to reduce leak problems, but don’t turn the handles too tight because you can damage the hardware. It is easy to see if your toilet is leaking. Put a few drops of food coloring or instant coffee in the toilet tank. Leave it for 30 minutes. If you see any color in the toilet bowl then there is a leak. You may just need to replace the flushing mechanism. This is a quick low cost fix to what can be a very costly problem.

Reduce the flow of toilets Almost half of the water used in a home is for toilets & showers. Replace old toilets with new models using 1.5 gallons per flush (gpf) or less Toilets made before 1978 use 4 to 8 gpf 1978 to 1993 toilets use 3.5 gpf Savings: 2 to 6.5 gpf Reduce the water used per flush Place a 2 liter bottle filled with pebbles or sand in the toilet tank. Saves about ½ gpf The fifth and final tip is to Reduce the flow of water from your toilets and showers. Toilets and showers account for close to half of the water used in your home, so these are great places to start when trying to reduce your water use. The best option with toilets is to replace old high water use models with low-flow models. A low-flow can reduce the water used per flush down to 1.3 or 1.5 gallons per flush. A quick fix that will reduce your water use by ½ gallon, is to place a 2 liter bottle filled with pebbles or sand in the back of the toilet tank. Be careful that you don’t interfere with the flushing mechanism. NOTE: It isn’t a good idea to put bricks in the toilet tank. Over time a brick will disintegrate and could damage your toilet or plumbing.

Reduce the flow of showerheads Measure water flow Hold a bucket under the showerhead. Turn the water on full blast for thirty seconds. Measure the number of cups of water in the bucket and multiply by two to get the number of gallons per minute. Replace showerhead if over 2.5 gallons per minute Older showerheads use 3 to 10 gallons per minute You should also reduce the flow of water from your showerhead. The average showerhead uses 2.5 gallons of water a minute. A low-flow showerhead can easily reduce the flow to 1.5 gallons per minute. If you don’t know how much water your shower uses, you can measure the flow rate per minute with a bucket. You could hold the bucket under the showerhead for one minute, but it is easier to check the flow for 30 seconds and multiply by two to get the per minute flow.

Low-Cost Ways to Save Water Toilet Flush less often Don’t use it for a trash can Shower Cut your shower time in half Bathing (tub) Reduce water level to 1/3 full or 5 inches Keeping the 5 easy water saving tips in mind, here are some easy low-cost and no-cost ways you can start saving water today. 1. Stop using the toilet as a trash can. Remember that every time you flush you use from 2 to 8 gallons of water. Just toss it in the trash can. 2. Cut your shower time in half. 3. If you like to take a bath, consider a 5 minute shower instead or reduce the water level in the tub.

Low-Cost Ways to Save Water Install aerators on faucets Reduce the flow from 2 to 3 gpm to 1.5 gpm Wash full loads of laundry & dishes Stop washing one dish at a time Save up to 15 gallons by washing & rinsing in the sink or a dish pan Go through your house and install low-flow faucet aerators on your bathroom and kitchen faucets. Aerators work by reducing the water flow and increasing pressure, then mixing air with the water as it comes from the tap. Even though you're using less water, it will seem like the flow is stronger. Aerators are fairly inexpensive. Never wash a partial load of laundry without at least adjusting the water level. Don’t run your dishwasher unless you have a full load and don’t pre-rinse your dishes. If you prefer to wash dishes by hand, always fill the sink or a basin with water. Never wash dishes one at a time under a stream of running water! Use a sprayer or pan of water to rinse the dishes.

Low-Cost Ways to Save Water Change your teeth brushing and shaving behaviors Wet your toothbrush and then turn the tap off (save about 5 gallons) Turn the tap on and off while shaving Brush your teeth and shave in the shower Changing your brushing and shaving habits can also save water. The best way is to turn the water on and off. However, you can shave or brush your teeth in the shower. NOTE: A woman may save more water by not shaving her legs in the shower. An electric shaver could be an option for some men and women.

Long-Term Water Conservation Toilet Install a low-flow or high efficiency model that uses 1.5 to 1.3 gallons per flush When shopping, look for the WaterSense label (www.epa.gov/watersense) Shower Install a 1.5 gallons per minute showerhead For long-term water conservation, you can replace toilets and showerheads. A low-flow toilet will greatly reduce water use per flush. Older models use 2 to 8 gallons per flush. Low-flow models use no more than 1.5 gallons of water per flush and the ultra low-flow models use even less. The new low-flow models are much better than the original models, so go ahead and make the switch! It’s easy to install a new showerhead that uses less than 2.5 gallons per minute.

Long-Term Water Conservation Clothes Washer Replace your old washer with a high efficiency machine that uses less than 28 gallons per load Dishwasher Replace your old machine with a high efficiency model that uses 4 to 7 gallons per load Look for the Energy Star label (www.energystar.gov) A little more expensive, but cost saving in the long-run, is to invest in a new dishwasher and washing machine. When you purchase a new washing machine or dishwasher look for the Energy Star label.

Long-Term Water Conservation Hot Water Insulate water pipes to get hot water faster and avoid wasting water while it reaches the correct temperature Install an on-demand or tankless hot water heater You can reduce your hot water use by investing in an on-demand or tank less hot water heater. This type of hot water heater heats the water as you need it rather than storing water in a tank.

Summary Water Conservation is about more than buying new gadgets….. It’s about changing your habits.

Wash laundry & dishes with full loads Always turn off running water 5 Easy Water Saving Tips Wash laundry & dishes with full loads Always turn off running water Take shorter showers Eliminate any and all leaks Reduce the flow of toilets & showerheads There are 5 easy ways you can start conserving water today. We all need to take responsibility for saving water whether or not there is a drought. Remember, every drop counts.