Top 10 Tips : Reduce Your Water Usage

• Retrofit Your Toilet - There are flaps, floats and other gizmos you can attach to your toilet to reduce the amount of water used in a flush. You can find these retrofits at a hardware store, or appliance store.
• Avoid Flushing Toilet Unnecessarily - If you sneeze into a tissue, don’t throw it in the toilet and flush - throw it in the garbage pail. Use the toilet for human waste and toilet paper only.
• Retrofit Your Showerhead And Faucets - Retrofits are also available for showerheads and water faucets to reduce or control the water flow and pressure. Only use the flow and pressure you need.
• Tackle Leaks And Drips Immediately - If you have leaks and drips, fix them immediately. If you’re not a handyman, give your plumber a call. Also, to find hidden leaks, watch your water meter. If it moves after a few hours and you haven’t used any water, you have a leak somewhere. Have a plumber come over and look at all your pipes.
• Shorten Your Showers - Instead of showering for 20 minutes just because you like the feel of hot water on your back, reduce your shower to do the tasks you need, like shampooing and rinsing soap off your body. You may find you only need five or 10 minutes!
• Don’t Leave The Tap Running While Brushing Teeth - Turn off the faucet while you’re brushing your teeth. If you brush for the recommended amount of time, you’ll be saving a lot of water.
• Only Wash Full Loads Of Dishes And Clothes - Running your washers as full loads when you only have half a load wastes water. If you can’t set the washers for only half a load, wait until it’s full before running the machine.
• Collect Rainwater - If you live in a rainy climate, put buckets under your downspouts to collect rainwater that flows down from your gutters. Use the this water to water your plants or wash your car instead of turning on your hose.
• Use A Dehumidifier - If you live in a humid climate, use a dehumidifier. In addition to helping prevent mold, it will also give you a bucket of water every few hours to water plants, put in your washing machine and more.
• Take Your Car To The Car Wash - Many car washes use water recycling systems, so your car will be washed by less water than it would from your garden hose.

Source: http://www.tipdiva.com/

How To: Save Water at Home

1. A dripping tap can waste up to 4 litres of water a day so check taps on a regular basis and replace any worn tap washers.

2. Get a water butt to collect rainwater and use it to water plants.

3. Keep a jug or bottle of water in the fridge so you don’t have to run the tap until it runs cold every time you want a drink.

4. Don’t leave the tap running whilst brushing your teeth. This could potentially waste up to 5 litres of water per minute.

5. Wash fruit and vegetables in a bowl instead of under a running tap. The leftover water can then be used to water plants.

6. Water your garden either first thing in the morning or late in the evening to reduce the amount of water that is evaporated by the sun.

7. When you boil an egg wait for the water to cool down and then use it to water your house plants. Your plants will benefit from all the nutrients that are released from the shell.

8. Only put enough water in the kettle for what you require, rather than boiling a full kettle each time you want a cup of tea.

9. If you have a fish tank, use the dirty water when cleaning the tank to water your plants. This water will be a good fertiliser for your plants as it will be rich in nitrogen and phosphorus.

10. Old toilets manufactured before 1993 can use up to 9 litres of clean water with every flush. You can reduce this amount by replacing the cistern or by placing a ’save-a-flush’ or ‘hippo’ in the cistern.


Source: http://www.recyclingsupermarket.com

DID YOU KNOW? Facts and Stats

...By using a broom instead of a hose to clean your sidewalk, you can save up to 80 gallons of water.

...Installing a reflective roof can directly save up to 40 percent in heating and cooling costs.

...For every incandescent light bulb replaced by a compact fluorescent, a restaurant can save up $30 in electricity costs over the light bulb’s lifetime.

...Letting a faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours.

...By fixing a leaky faucet an operator can save up to 20 gallons of water a day -- or as much as 140 gallons a week and 7,300 gallons a year.

...According to the U.S. Department of Energy's Center for Sustainable Development, buildings consume 40% of the world's total energy, 25% of its wood harvest and 16% of its water.

...McDonald’s redesigned the North American fry boxes in 2005, reducing packaging weight by more than 1,100 tons per year.

...Restaurants use five times more energy per square foot than other commercial buildings and five times more energy in the kitchen than in the rest of the building.

...Energy costs have been increasing at a rate of 6 percent to 8 percent per year.

...Buildings carrying the ENERGY STAR label consume about 40 percent less energy than typical buildings.

...If all the earth's water fit into a gallon bottle, the fresh water available for human use would equal just over one tablespoon.

...A standard toilet uses as much as 4.5 gallons per flush. Low-flush toilets use around 1.6 gallons per flush.

...A leaky faucet dripping one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year. A leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water a day.


Source: http://www.conserve.restaurant.org

Conserve Now! Top 10 Tips To Do Within Your Workplace

1. Turn Off

Turn off interior/exterior lights and cooking hoods when not in use. Install motion detectors in storerooms, offices and restrooms. Set lights on timers.

2. Fix Leaks

Repair leaky faucets and toilets. Stop air leaks by caulking and insulating around leaky windows and doors and installing energy curtains in freezer rooms.

3. Replace Lighting

Replace incandescents with longer lasting CFL light bulbs or LED lights. Replace traditional exit signs with LED exit lighting.

4. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Follow the 3 R's of sustainability: reduce, reuse, recyle. Reduce waste. Reuse furniture, flooring. Recycle paper, plastics, glass and aluminum.

5. Unplug

When not in use, unplug computers, electronics, coffee machines, POS system and any small appliances.

6. Use Less Water

Serve customers water upon request. Run dishwashers, washing machines only when full. Install low-flow toilets, waterless urinals, tankless water heaters.

7. Train and Inform

Train employees on energy saving procedures and on the importance of energy conservation and water use. Tell customers about your energy efforts.

8. Clean and Maintain

Clean equipment runs more efficiently. Regularly dust and clean appliances, top to bottom. Perform routine preventive maintenance on HVAC, plumbing, appliances, major equipment.

9. Remodel or Build Green

Use low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) or no-VOC paints, recycled flooring and managed forest wood. Install a reflective roof, sun lights and energy-efficient windows.

10. Look for the ENERGY STAR Label

Purchase appliances, electronics and other EPA-tested equipment that carries the ENERGY STAR label.

Source: http://www.conserve.restaurant.org/conservenow/tentips.cfm