1. More than 339 billion gallons of water are used in the U.S. each day. If every household saved just 1 gallon per day, we'd save 94 million gallons a day - enough to supply the residents of a city the size of Baltimore, Md., for one year.
Develop water-wise habits and use only the water you need. Eliminate waste by fixing leaks, saving rain water for plants, installing low-flow fixtures, and in general, remembering to slow the flow.2. More pesticides contaminate water than any other substance and we use more than 1 billion pounds each year.
Find alternatives to harmful, toxic pest killers for your garden. Geraniums, for example, repel Japanese beetles, garlic and mint repel aphids, and marigolds repel whiteflies.
3. We generate almost 2 billion pounds of hazardous waste each year in our homes from household cleansers and chemicals.
Take used household batteries, paints, solvents, automobile fluids, mothballs, paint strippers and most polishes to a hazardous waste collection center. These products can pollute water if not disposed of properly.
4. Americans use nearly 1.3 billion gallons of motor oil, but less than one-half is reprocessed by recyclers. Motor oil, poured down sewer drains or on the ground, can contaminate water.
Take your used motor oil and other automobile fluids to service stations and retail stores that recycle.
5. On average, 50-70 percent of household water is used outdoors for watering lawns and gardens.
Find "smarty" plants, grasses and ground coverings that are adapted to the local climate and don't need a lot of additional water.
6. Inside your home, you use more water in the bathroom than any other place. For example, the average shower takes up to 50 gallons.
A low-flow shower head can save up to 50 percent of the water you're using to take a shower. Low-flow toilets and faucet aerators can save another 25 gallons a day.
7. Your city government and state officials regularly make decisions that can affect the quality of your drinking water resources.
Ask how these decisions will affect your water resources and drinking water. Voice your opinion on protecting water and speak out for wise-water policies.
8. Public water utilities test the quality of your drinking water thousands of times a year. For example, Connecticut-American Water Co. performs more than 18,800 separate tests on its community water supply each year.
Call your local water supplier and ask what contaminants it tests for and how it measures up to federal health standards. It's important to know the quality of your drinking water.
9. Americans drink more than 1 billion glasses of water a day.
To quench that kind of thirst, you'll want to have plenty of water on hand. Fill a pitcher with tap water and put it in your refrigerator.
10. Almost 40 million people rely on private wells for their drinking water. As these wells are on private property and are not regulated for safety, they can become contaminated.
Contact your local health department or cooperative extension service representative to find out how to test your private well for safety.