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Saving Water Indoors

We live on a wet planet.  In fact, 80% of the earth’s surface is covered by water.  However, 97% of the water on earth is salt water, and another 2% is tied up as glacial ice, leaving us with only 1% of the earth’s water that we can actually use!

The earth’s water cycle ensures that we have essentially the same amount of water on earth as we did when the earth was formed.  Unfortunately, because of pollution, excessive demands and other factors, our supply of clean water is becoming scarce.  We are using water faster than nature can recycle it!  We need to work together NOW to save what little fresh water we have!

Did You Know?

  • A person can live for a month without food, but only for about a week without water!
  • About two thirds of the human body is water.  Seventy percent of your skin and 75% of the human brain is water.
  • A tree, which seems pretty solid, is actually about 75% water!
  • Every day, 300 million gallons of water are needed to supply a single day’s supply of U.S. newsprint.
  • The average daily water use for each person in North Reading is 65 gallons per day!
  • The total water demand for North Reading averaged about 1.2 million gallons per day during the winter of 2006, but jumped to nearly 1.9 million gallons per day during the summer months.  Residents and businesses used nearly 700,000 gallons of water per day during the summer months for lawn and landscape irrigation!

What You Can Do To Dave Water In Your Home!

  • Fix leaky faucets, pipes and toilets.  Install a low-flush toilet.
  • Be aware of your own water use habits – take shorter showers, don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth or shave, and don’t flush the toilet needlessly.
  • Install inexpensive water saving fixtures, such as water-saving showerheads, faucet aerators and toilet dams.
  • Keep a pitcher of cold water in the refrigerator instead of running water until it gets cold from the tap.
  • Use “gray water” from bathing or dishwashing to water plants.
  • Run the dishwasher and the washing machine only when full and use the energy-saver cycle.