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As part of
the "Green Calendar" effort of the religious
congregations in Glastonbury (called Gaining a
Greener Glastonbury), First Churchs Green
Committee volunteered to be responsible for June
and July to highlight Green Vacations and Water
Conservation respectively. In the last Reminder,
we listed some actions we can all take if we take
a vacation over the next twelve months. This month
a pamphlet is being prepared by Laura Wildman and
Gordon Bates on water conservation that will be
shared with all the congregations. Below is a part
of what will be in the pamphlet. Water, along with
air, food and shelter, is one of the four
indispensable survival needs of humans and almost
all other creatures. Keeping in mind that less
than one percent of all the water on earth is
accessible and drinkable, and that more than 2
billion people lack safe and readily available
water for drinking, eating, bathing and
irrigation, what follows are some Tips for
summertime water conservation:
Water your
lawn and plants sparingly
Water in
the cool part of the day
Know your
plants water needs
Check your
sprinkler coverage
Perform
annual maintenance of your automatic sprinkler
system
Know your
soil type to prevent run-off
Deep-soak
your shrubs
Aerate your
lawn and only water when your lawn is dry
Ask
yourself: Do we really need all the lawn we are
watering?
What
alternatives might be available?
When using
Water Indoors
Check for
leaks - one drip a second wastes 2,000 gals. per
year
Install
water-conserving toilets, shower heads, faucets,
etc.
Showers use
17 % of home water. Restrict them to five minutes
or less
Turn water
on and off when shaving, rinsing dishes or
brushing your teeth
Reject the
temptation to buy or store bottled water
Run the dishwasher or
washing machine only when completely full. Clothes
washers use 22 % of home water consumption
Toilet use
averages 25% of home water consumption (use common
sense in deciding when to flush)
Place a
bucket in the shower to catch excess water to
later water plants. This also works when washing
dishes or vegetables in the sink.
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