Money Saving Water Conservation Tips

It is estimated that by the year 2016 as many as 36 states will be experiencing serious water issues. Of course, Arizona is a hot spot for efforts to reduce water usage. As with most areas, our water supply is fixed - there aren't any new sources available. So, we must learn to be more efficient with the water we do have. Only by conserving this limited resource will we be able to sustain population growth which has been a driving force behind our economy for quite some time. The focus for water conservation is sustainable water management - making the best use of what we have to serve the needs of the people who are already here, as well as new population growth for the future. The key to this effort is education and awareness.

In your home, the single biggest water use comes from flushing toilets. This is followed closely by your clothes washer, then shower and faucet use. A surprisingly large amount of water is wasted in leaks- over 13% of average residential use!

There are a number of easy, inexpensive ways to positively impact your personal water use:

Water your lawn less often
Take shorter showers
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth
Run only full loads in the clothes and dishwasher
Install faucet aerators
Repair leaks
Replace older toilets with new 1.28 gpf HET or dual-flush toilets.

You may remember when the EPA mandated that all toilets be no more than 1.6 gpf and that shower heads be 2.5 gpm maximum in 1992- and how poorly they functioned. This left a bad impression in many people's minds about water conserving fixtures. The good news is that technology has vastly improved since then. I can attest to this from personal experience- having just replaced an even older toilet (probably from the 1980's and using 3.5 gpf or more) to the new HET 1.28 gpf model in my own home- the new one works great!

The newer WaterSense shower heads only use 2.0 gpm, and also work really well- the difference is not even noticeable. Another annoying issue that you've likely experienced is the gallons and gallons of water wasted waiting for the hot water to reach the shower. By installing a hot water recirculation system, you get the convenience and luxury of instant hot water AND save an average of 5 gallons every time you shower! If you are building a new home, the cost to install the system is around $200 or less, plus labor. They also have retrofit systems available, which typically run less than $1000installed.


Sensor faucets (the kind you often find in public restrooms, where you don't have an on/off lever) are now available for residential use in both kitchens like the Delta Touch shown here, and baths. These fixtures save water by shutting off automatically... and they are also more hygienic because dirty, germy hands never touch the fixture.

Many local water utilities are making changing to more efficient fixtures very affordable by offering cash or credit rebates on your water bill. In Scottsdale, for instance, a new high-efficiency toilet earns a credit of $75-$100, and new low flow shower heads also earn credit for each one installed. Check with your local utility to find out the options where you live. In any case, your water bill will be lower because you will use far less water if you implement these strategies!

Save 11,000 Gallons of H2O

Did you know you can save up to 11,000 gallons of water every year by switching to a new WaterSense approved toilet?
Kohler Co. announced that eight of it toilet models have been certified to carry the new EPA-designated WaterSense label, including the Escale model shown here. The new designation means these toilets use at least 20 percent less water than standard 1.6-gallon toilets while still meeting strict flushing performance guidelines.

Launched in 2006, WaterSense is an EPA-sponsored partnership program aimed at protecting our nation's future water supply by promoting water efficiency and encouraging design and use of water-efficient products, programs, and practices. WaterSense partners with manufacturers, retailers and distributors to bring WaterSense labeled products to the marketplace and make it easy for homeowners to purchase high-performing, water-efficient products. The WaterSense label applies to toilets, showerheads, and faucets.

I will be attending a seminar discussing WaterSense fixtures next week, and will share more water and money saving tips here. Stay tuned...

Ensure Healthy Indoor Air with Airpod

After sealing and insulating your house to create a more energy efficient home, you also need to be sure you are creating and maintaining healthy indoor air quality. Enter the Airpod, which packs a high quality HEPA air filter into a compact, modern package. Perfect for bedrooms, office, or nursery, this affordable air purifier will have you and your loved ones breathing easy.

Quite often, poor indoor air quality is responsible for prolonged illness, difficulty sleeping, and respiratory discomfort, although it is often overlooked as the cause of these symptoms. With a high efficiency silent HEPA-Air filter, such as the delightfully designed Airpod by Blueair, you can filter out at least 99.97% of impure airborne particles in your indoor environment, which will in turn improve your family’s health.

Compared to air filters with comparable performance rates, the Airpod uses approximately 60% less material in its design and manufacturing. The Airpod costs less to run than a single light bulb, and it does not generate ozone byproducts like Sharper Image’s Ionic Breeze.

Air filtration units used for large areas of space (approx. 200 sq ft-600 sq ft) range anywhere from $150 to $800, which means it can be quite costly to purchase such units for every room in your home. The Airpod allows for good air quality in your smaller personal spaces: it covers up to 50 square feet and costs just $99.95 at most retailers.


The sleek design and easy mobility allows the Airpod to go work with you, so that you can filter out those unwanted particles floating in your office air. The Airpod is perfect for your child’s playroom/area as well. The easily movable unit can dock next to your baby’s crib while he’s sleeping, and then transfer to wherever you go to nurse, cuddle or play with your baby.

Wastepaper Basket from Waste Paper

Here's an innovative idea for you- a container for trash that reduces the amount of trash in landfills. CHUCK™ is the world's first modern wastepaper basket constructed of 100% recycled cardboard and printed with low VOC water-based soy inks.

Inspired by walking past a pile of trash, these fun waste baskets are available in a variety of printed patterns and designs. Perfect for guest rooms, dorms, playrooms, etc. Take your recycling to the next level- not only is Chuck made from recycled material, it is 100% recyclable when it's useful life is over.

A Green Idea for Gift Wrapping

While it makes a fun tradition, gift-wrapping packages with paper and tape is an inherently unsustainable practice: think of all the paper and ribbon that goes into the trash each holiday season for the sake of making presents pretty.

Here’s a lovely green gift-wrap idea: wrap your present in a silk scarf this year! Not only do scarves make beautiful, easy gift wrap that requires no tape or scissors - but the durability and multiple uses of scarves mean that the gift-wrap itself becomes part of the present that can be worn and reused again and again.

BOBO wrapping scarves are silk scarves that are designed for the express purpose of wrapping presents. They can mold into a variety of shapes and the cloth material can be re-used over and over again.

Healthy Indoors with Green Plants

This excellent chart from Good Magazine shows you which plants are best at eliminating which specific toxins commonly found in your home. What a great tool!
This is the easiest and cheapest way to improve the air inside your home, office or other space. You also don't need any special equipment or to incur construction costs or time.

Green resolutions for 2008

Are you making new year's resolutions for 2008 to be more green? If so, here's a few of my favorite tips to get you started:

*Bring your own bags to the market. (there are so many great, lightweight and inexpensive options out there now, there's really no excuse not to do this)

*Use reusable glass or metal containers for water - don't buy plastic bottled water. (with the health risks associated to these bottles, and the issue of enormous amounts of waste created by plastic bottles, again this is a no-brainer)

*Lease or build your home or office in urban areas where daily needs are easily accessible by walking, biking or public transportation. (Urban infill projects are bringing life back to our cities, and creating dynamic neighborhoods again)

*Install low-flow dual flush toilets and waterless urinals.

*Use low-flow sink faucets and showerheads.

*Turn off the lights when you leave the room. (Dad was right on this one!)

*Get off junk mail lists. Go to www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/ to opt out of most of it

*Set up a recycling center at home and at the office. Recycle glass, paper, newspaper, metals and cardboard.

*Turn off the dishwashers drying cycle.

*Cluster many errands into one trip.

*Drive a hybrid car. (or one of the growing number of all electrics available - my favorite, the Tesla)

*Check the air pressure in your tires to optimize fuel efficiency. (This is a safety issue as well)


As you can see, there are MANY ways we can begin to live more sustainably in easy to incorporate ways.
For more, check out ASID's web-site at www.asid.org/green.