Even though we gave our clients many "indoor" water saving ideas we realized that we couldn't monitor our client's indoor water use in the same way that we could monitor their outdoor water use. Outside there is an automatic irrigation clock that regulates how much water is used and for how long. Inside the home no such clock exists!
Indoor water management is left entirely up to the individuals living inside the home. How long is the water left running during showers? Or when the family brushes their teeth? Is the water left running during household chores? When I was a boy my mother left the water running in the kitchen sink the whole time she was cleaning.
Our newsletters suggested these ideas to our clients: Take 3 minute showers. Fill up the bathtub only halfway full when bathing. When brushing teeth, use a glass of water rather than running water in the sink. Fill up the dishwasher completely before running it. Consider using paper plates. Place a filled plastic container into the toilet tank. Install water saving shower heads. Install restrictors into all of the sink faucets. Keep a bottle of cold water in the refrigerator rather than running the tap until the water gets cold enough to drink. Insulate indoor pipes to reduce the possibility of breaks and to conserve energy. The list goes on and on.
Indoor water management allows more choices than outdoor water management. Most homeowners are more familiar and comfortable with indoor water saving systems than they are with outdoor water saving systems. It's easier to turn off the tap or to run the dishwasher with a full load than to go outside and set the automatic irrigation clock. Outdoor water management needs to become as comfortable and familiar as indoor water management. That is how we, The Happy Gardener, approach it. To our customers, becoming familiar with operating the clock becomes second nature. Mystery and helplessness are replaced with an irrigation schedule and PCD'S.
Water Management has not yet been fully recognized and given the credit it deserves. Water Management will continue to help our lawn and landscapes survive through drought restrictions. Here is a chance to allow it to become widespread.
April 1992 Newsletter
- Education is the first step towards saving Mother Earth.
- Buy products that can be recycled.
- Read the labels and choose the least hazardous products.
- Buy biodegradable products whenever possible.
- Ask the checker to put your groceries in paper bags.
- Use cloth napkins and dish towels instead of paper napkins and towels.
- Load your dishwasher and washing machine to full capacity whenever you use it.
- If you buy a dishwasher, select one with an air-dry option and short cycled selections.
- When washing clothes, use phosphate-free or low-phosphate soap. Most liquid detergents are phosphate-free.
- Use the large size bottle of shampoo to refill small containers.
- Avoid aerosol deodorants.
- Flush the toilet less often.
- Check the toilets and faucets for leaks.
- Take shorter showers.
- Don't run the water while you're brushing your teeth.
- Install a water saving shower head and low flow aerators on the faucets.
- Use lemon juice and vegetable oil instead of furniture polish.
- Clean windows with vinegar and water.
- A vinegar and salt mixture will clean most household surfaces.
- Instead of using commercial products to freshen the air inside your home, just open the windows.
- Close drapes at night to keep the warm air in.
- Turn off the lights of when you leave the room.
- If you don't use air conditioning, keep windows and outside doors closed during the hottest part of the day.
- Turn off the air conditioner if you leave the room for a few hours.
- Set your thermostatat to 65-75 degrees during winter days.
- Set your thermostat to 60 degrees during winter nights.
- Insulate your hot water pipes.
- Don't buy wood products that come from tropical forests.
- Use latex paint instead of oil based paint.
- Store hazardous products out of the reach of children.
- Recycle glass, aluminum and newspapers.
- Replace incandescent bulbs with flourescent lights. They last 13 times longer.
- Buy rechargeable batteries.
...End of chapter 6
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