Cool, Clear Service - Don't Waste Water
I'll Shower to That
Water is a necessity — there is no question about it! However, only 1 percent of the world’s water is available to use. That is not a lot of water for the entire world!
We all use water every day and may not even think about where our water goes or how much we actually use. Think about it — you brush your teeth, go to the bathroom, wash your clothes, cook dinner, and take a shower. That is a lot of water for just a single day. A rough water breakdown for a single person looks like this:
- Toilet: 26.7%
- Clothes Washer: 21.7%
- Shower: 16.8%
- Faucets: 15.7%
- Leaks: 13.7%
Water is very important to all of us, there are things you can do to avoid wasting water.
How Can I Help?
Being a college student (and most likely a renter), you may not have control over whether you have low-flow toilets or bad plumbing, but there are still things you can do to make a difference. The first thing you can do to conserve water is to be more conscious of your water usage. Try to take shorter showers, turn off the facet while brushing your teeth, make sure the washer is completely full of clothes before your run it, and plug the bathtub before turning on the water to run a bath.
There are other things you can do too. If you have a leak, place a bucket or cup under the leak and take that water to water plants or use to wash some dishes. If you have a green thumb and live in a house, you may want to consider constructing a rain barrel (at a cost of about $30) and use rain water to water a garden during dryer times. There are plenty of options to help conserve water, and most of them can be done in 15 minutes or less. So don’t just sit in front of your computer — go out and conserve some water!
Still Want More?
If you would like to volunteer for more than 15 minutes to help the environment, check out Douglas-Hart Nature Center (217-235-4644) and Embarrass Volunteer Stewards (217-345-6476). Both of these organizations are committed to the education, the enjoyment, and the conservation of the world we live in. If you have any more questions about water conservation or other volunteer opportunities, please contact us at 217-581-6048 or volunteer@eiu.edu.
