Water
The actions described below will help you conserve our precious water resources. Each category below requires an initial launch action that will enable you to engage in that category through ongoing actions. Select from the options described on this page and submit your action through the button below to gain points toward perks.
Launch: Test for leaks
Ongoing: Fix existing leaks
Depending on its severity, a simple toilet leak can lead to a loss of dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of gallons of water per day. Just think of how much water would be wasted from a leak undetected for weeks, months, or years. Leaks from other fixtures or from irrigation can also result in serious water waste. To test for a leaky toilet, simply add 10-15 drops of food dye to your toilet tank, wait 30 minutes, and if check to see if the color in the toilet bowl has changed. If it has, you have a leak and need to get it repaired. Check out this article and this resource for other ways to check for leaks in your home. Even if you do nothing else to conserve water, this is the place to start to ensure you are not wasting precious water resources and draining money from your wallet!
Launch: Learn about efficient aerators
Ongoing action: Install efficient aerators where appropriate
Faucet aerators can reduce the flow of water from your faucet while also aerating it to feel like a normal flow of water. For as little as just a few dollars, you can purchase and DIY install one or several of these around your home to improve the efficiency of your faucets. However, it is important to understand when and when not to use aerators. In cases where you are using the faucet to fill up something, like a watering can for your plants, do not install an aerator, as it will simply extend the amount of time it takes to fill the can. However, in situations like a kitchen or bathroom sink where the water is used to wash dishes or hands, an aerator can lead to real savings over the long run.
Launch: Identify water appliances to replace with EPA WaterSense
Ongoing: Replace those water appliances
WaterSense is a program run by the EPA that certifies highly efficient products and helps residents reduce their water usage. The program includes everything from toilets to shower-heads to sprinklers. First, identify which appliances in your home are not efficient in today’s standards. For example, most toilets have a label behind the seat that tells you how many gallons per flush (GPF) are used. The current standard for WaterSense toilets is 1.28 GPF, so if your number is above that, determine whether it is in your budget to replace the toilet (which, remember, will lead to savings in the long term!). Learn more about WaterSense products here. Recently, some state and local governments have offered rebates for water upgrades, so be sure to check for potential cash back on your investment.
Launch: Replace grass with native plants
Ongoing: Maintain your native plants
Native plants are those that have evolved in your area for millennia. That means they were able to thrive based on how much precipitation fell in your area. In recent years, plants have been transported and established all over the world, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose. By replacing parts or all of your lawn with native plants, you can eliminate the need to water your yard, even in the hot, dry parts of summer. An added benefit is that your local birds, insects, and other wildlife have evolved alongside native plants, so they will benefit too. Image: North Carolina Native Plant Society
Launch: Develop a plan to mow less and water less
Ongoing: Implement low mow and water practices
Reducing outdoor water usage starts with simply watering less. In most areas, watering just once or twice per week in the warm season is plenty. Get comfortable with grass that’s a little brown. In addition to watering less, mowing less is a water conservation technique because it allows your grass and plants to grow deeper roots and store more water, thus allowing them to be watered less. Raising the blade on your mower to 3.5 inches or higher is another way to allow those roots grow deeper to conserve water. Mowing less has the added benefit of reducing noise and air pollution.
Launch: Learn some indoor water-saving behavior tips
Ongoing: Continue to implement indoor water-saving behaviors
From only running the dishwasher when full to “letting it mellow”, there are loads of simple ways to make cuts to your indoor water usage. A few small changes can lead to thousands of gallons of water saved over time. This will help you not only feel good about taking stress off of our water sources but will also save you dollars on your water bill over the long term. Oh to think what you could spend that 40, 50, 100 or more dollars per year on instead…check out these resources for simple ways to conserve water indoors: Regional Water Providers Consortium tips and Watersavingtips.org.
Bringing Water Conservation to Music
Speak with your venues and studios about WaterSense appliances
Host a water-saving themed show and share the water conservation take-home guide with attendees.
Engage fans in a local water conservation campaign
Have another water conservation action? The actions described above are not an exhaustive list. Submit your action below and it will be reviewed by our team regardless of whether it is described above.
Submit your action
The button below will take you to the submission form. Your action will be reviewed by our team, and you will be notified when you receive points for your action (typically within 1 week of submission).
The Music and Planet Project 