“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

10 Easy Water Saving Tips

 “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” is a quote that most people are familiar with. But did you know that only 3% of the earth’s water is drinkable and 2% of that is inaccessible? I was reminded of that yesterday during a presentation on green building practices and how they affect us in Lake County. There are literally hundreds of ways to conserve water and I’d like to share 10 easy tips that you can implement in your home today.

~Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving to keep excess water from going down the drain.
~Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Fix it and save up to 1,000 gallons a month!
~Fix leaky faucets and consider installing faucets with water-saving aerators.
~Spread a layer of organic mulch around plants. It saves time, water and money.
~Use a broom instead of water to clean steps, driveways and sidewalks.
~Make sure the dishwasher is fully loaded before turning it on.
~Use leftover water for houseplants instead of pouring out a half-full glass of water.
~When doing laundry, use the appropriate water level and load size.
~Adjust your lawn mower to a higher setting. It will shade roots and hold moisture better than if it is closely clipped.
~Cut  your shower time down by just two minutes and save hundreds of gallons a month.

I just heard about west coast builders who require that buyers of their real estate sign a document disclosing that the builder will not guarantee that there will always be a water supply. I can’t imagine how that would play in Lake Zurich, Long Grove and Buffalo Grove real estate. I’m sure that I don’t want to find out, so I won’t be waiting until the well is dry to make changes!