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Americans use approximately 205 billion gallons of water a day. On top of that, every year more than 10 billion plastic water bottles end up as garbage and in landfills. As our population continues to grow, the demands on our precious water resources increase—and our environment suffers. But, your family can make a positive difference.
Start by reducing waste by drinking PUR® filtered water instead of bottled water. A PUR Faucet Filter provides about 400 gallons of filtered water per year. That’s about 3,200 16-oz plastic bottles of water. Not only are you saving those bottles from reaching the landfills, but you’re saving money, too. On average, PUR filtered water is about 1/10 the cost of bottled water, saving you about $600 per year.
Water conservation is another way you can make a difference in the world. Start conserving water in your home with these easy-to-follow tips.
- Keep a pitcher of filtered drinking water in the refrigerator. Running tap water to cool it for drinking can waste more than 200 gallons per month.
- Make sure all faucets are turned off tightly and are not leaking. A leaking faucet could waste up to 4,000 gallons per year.
- Run only full loads in your dishwasher and washing machine. This can save 300 to 800 gallons per month.
- Consider water efficiency when purchasing a new laundry machine. Newer models use 40 percent less water, and can save up to 6,000 gallons per year.
- Replace the parts inside your toilet tank every few years. Toilet leaks often are difficult to see or hear and can waste more than 100 gallons of water in a single day. (Test for toilet leaks by adding food coloring to the water tank. Don’t flush for 15 minutes. If you see color in the bowl, you may have a leak.)
- Avoid letting the water run while you brush your teeth, shave, or wash your face.
- Install water-saving shower heads.
- Shorten your shower time.
- Avoid excessive watering. Most lawns only require an inch of water per week to remain healthy and green. Measure the time it takes your sprinkler to deliver that much water and don’t exceed the total time for the week. How do you know how long it should run? Use an empty tuna can to catch the water and determine how long it took to reach an inch deep. Then set your kitchen timer for that amount of time, or use a sprinkler timer for an automatic shutoff.
- Monitor Mother Nature’s contribution. A rain gauge is a reliable and inexpensive device for measuring the water your lawn gets from rainfall. If you receive an inch of rain or more within one week, you can skip the sprinkler until next week.
- Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to help retain moisture and slow evaporation.
- Pull large weeds to decrease competition for water.
- Reduce evaporation by watering in the evening or the cool of the morning.
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