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Green Goes Simple: The Green Scoop

The Way You Water

By Amy Levin-Epstein for Green Goes Simple

Watering the lawn, running in the sprinkler, lazy days by the pool -- each of these summer activities proves that water is a central part of warm-weather fun. So how do you cut back on water use -- without cutting back on the fun?

“In the U.S., the average person uses between 100 to 175 gallons of water daily,” says Caroline Howell, founder of GreenBeanie, a green home and lifestyle consultant. “To put this in perspective, the average person in Africa uses a mere 5 gallons a day.” Clearly, people aren’t doing all they can to conserve water, a limited resource that -- if used improperly -- can result in sky-high summer bills.

Fortunately, hope is not lost! Howell has many easy tips to conserve water -- and save some cash -- this summer.

Wake up and Water
If you douse your lawn and garden under the midafternoon sun, a good chunk of that precious liquid will evaporate before it reaches root level. “Watering the lawn and garden should be done in the early morning hours before the sun comes up,” says Howell.

Sprinkle Your Lawn Smartly
Inefficiency equals major waste, so look for products that fix leaks and help water get to your parched plants and lawn. A noodle sprinkler can help improve your aim and keep your garden truly green. And if you have an automatic sprinkler -- which is already eco-friendly! -- make sure to override the system and shut it off whenever rain is on the way.

Conserve During Playtime
Kids are going to want to run through the sprinkler, so look for a low-flow option that reduces the amount of water used. And if they’re turning into prunes trying to stay cool with the sprinkler, give them water pistols. They will not only get some exercise while running around, but also use much less water.

Reuse Rain and Shower Water
“You can capture rainwater with barrels connected to your gutters, and then use this for watering your lawn,” says Howell. It’s not as hard as you may think -- there are many preconfigured kits available online, and you can also build your own system.

Rain isn’t the only water you can collect and reuse. “I have a bucket in the shower that captures a gallon of water while it’s getting hot,” says Howell. “I use this water on the plants on my patio.”

Protect Your Pool From Evaporation
“Put a cover on your pool to stop evaporation, which saves significant water in warmer months,” says Howell. There are even solar covers that will heat the pool naturally, so you’ll save water and energy!

Lead by Example
Kids learn from watching you, so show them easy, everyday ways to save water. Turn off faucets while brushing your teeth and shut down the hose while soaping up the car. They’ll follow your lead and you’ll see some big savings!

Amy Levin-Epstein is a freelance writer who’s been published in magazines like Glamour, Self and Prevention, on websites like AOL, Babble and Details.com and in newspapers like the New York Post and the Boston Globe. You can read more of her writing at AmyLevinEpstein.com. Her articles have previously appeared on Green Goes Simple.

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	<h2>Green Goes Simple: The Green Scoop</h2>
<h1>The Way You Water</h1>

By Amy Levin-Epstein for <a href="http://www.greengoessimple.com">Green Goes Simple</a>

<img src="http://www.greengoessimple.com/partner/content/ecochicmommyftp/archive/2011-06-27/feature/conserve_water_this_summer/images/large.jpg" width="202" height="138" alt=""/>	Watering the lawn, running in the sprinkler, lazy days by the
pool -- each of these summer activities proves that water is a central
part of warm-weather fun. So how do you cut back on water use -- without
 cutting back on the fun?

“In the
U.S., the average person uses between 100 to 175 gallons of water
daily,” says Caroline Howell, founder of <a href="http://www.greenbeanie.net/" target="_blank">GreenBeanie</a>, a green home and lifestyle
consultant. “To put this in perspective, the average person in
 Africa uses a mere 5 gallons a day.” Clearly, people
aren’t doing all they can to conserve water, a limited
resource that -- if used improperly -- can result in sky-high summer
bills.

Fortunately, hope is not lost! Howell
has many easy tips to conserve water -- and save some cash -- this
summer.

Wake up and
Water If you douse your lawn and garden under
the midafternoon sun, a good chunk of that precious liquid will
evaporate before it reaches root level. “Watering the lawn and
 garden should be done in the early morning hours before the sun comes
up,” says Howell.

Sprinkle
 Your Lawn Smartly Inefficiency equals major
waste, so look for products that fix leaks and help water get to your
parched plants and lawn. A <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Noodlehead-N111C-Flexible-Garden-Sprinkler/dp/B000YKJ6YW/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307276424&sr=8-1-fkmr0" target="_blank">noodle sprinkler</a> can help improve
 your aim and keep your garden truly green. And if you have an automatic
 sprinkler -- which is already eco-friendly! -- make sure to override
the system and shut it off whenever rain is on the way.

Conserve
 During Playtime Kids are going to want to run
 through the sprinkler, so look for a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Raindrip-R547DP-Low-Flow-Sprinkler-Kit/dp/B0006VOR0M" target="_blank">low-flow option</a> that reduces the amount of
 water used. And if they’re turning into prunes trying to stay
 cool with the sprinkler, give them water pistols. They will not only
get some exercise while running around, but also use much less
water.

Reuse Rain and
Shower Water “You can capture
rainwater with barrels connected to your gutters, and then use this for
watering your lawn,” says Howell. It’s not as hard
as you may think -- there are many <a href="http://www.rainxchange.com" target="_blank">preconfigured
kits</a> available online, and you can also build your
own system.

Rain isn’t the only
water you can collect and reuse. “I have a bucket in the
shower that captures a gallon of water while it’s getting
hot,” says Howell. “I use this water on the plants
on my patio.”

Protect
 Your Pool From Evaporation “Put a
cover on your pool to stop evaporation, which saves significant water in
 warmer months,” says Howell. There are even <a href="http://www.solarhome.org/solarpoolcovers.html" target="_blank">solar covers</a>  that will heat the
pool naturally, so you’ll save water and
energy!

Lead by
Example Kids learn from watching you, so show
them easy, everyday ways to save water. Turn off faucets while brushing
your teeth and shut down the hose while soaping up the car.
They’ll follow your lead and you’ll see some big
savings!
				Amy Levin-Epstein is a freelance writer who’s been published in magazines like Glamour, Self and Prevention, on websites like AOL, Babble and Details.com and in newspapers like the New York Post and the Boston Globe. You can read more of her writing at AmyLevinEpstein.com. Her articles have previously appeared on <a href="http://www.greengoessimple.com">Green Goes Simple</a>.
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