Water in our area comes from streams and aquifers. Every gallon you use means one less for fish, and one less gallon in our underground reserve for future generations. So use less! Here's how.
Fix Leaks: Slow leaks in toilets, pipes and faucets can cost a home thousands of gallons of water or more per year. Fix leaks with plumbers tape or hire a local plumber to assist with larger projects.
Use Only What You Need: Remember to turn off the water when you don't need it, for instance when brushing teeth, shaving or washing dishes. Make sure to run dishwasher or washing machine loads only when they are full.
In the Shower: Get yourself over to one of our local hardware stores and buy a low flow shower head. They'll run you around $20 to $30 and help you save water at rates of 25 to 60 percent.
Wrap Your Pipes: Cut down the time you run the tap waiting for hot water by wrapping your pipes with cheap foam cylinders that are easy to install.
Pay Attention to Toilets: Toilets are the single biggest water user in the home, somewhere around 35 percent of water usage per day. Adding bricks or filled water bottles to the tank will reduce the amount of water flushed. But, if you can afford it, buying a low-flow toilet can cut your home water consumption by around 25 percent.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency and American Water Works Association
More in The Green Issue
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Green Machine: Energy Transformation
Maybe it’s something in the water, or the upholstery of our Subaru Outbacks that makes Central Oregonians so environmentally conscious, a fact that’s readily apparent in our recycling rates (almost 45 percent of our waste is now repurposed) and our embrace of solar power. (We’re home to half a dozen installers and recently added two of the biggest solar systems in state at Bend Broadband’s data center and Facebook’s new server farm in Prineville.)
Whatever the reason, sustainability isn’t just a way of life in Bend -- it’s an industry that includes everything from small windpower producers like Redmond’s Abney Electrix to a people-powered cycle pub in Bend. This year’s Green Issue is a snapshot of how Central Oregon is putting itself on the forefront of the sustainability movement both individually and collectively. While there are dozens of interesting examples of how entrepreneurs, public agencies and private citizens are blazing a green trail, we’ve narrowed our focus to seven projects that show how Central Oregonians are putting their values into practice; examples range from a multimillion dollar community forest project to a natural soap making business. Read it, share it and then recycle it. (EF)
- Apr 12, 2012
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Get Comped for Your Commute: Commute Options understands the power of an incentive
Good things come from Commute Options when you choose to be green on the roads.
- Apr 11, 2012
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Commuter Kit: Bike Commuting Made Easy
A few things you'll need when taking to the roads on your bicycle.
- Apr 11, 2012
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Going Native: Get your spring planting started right with OSU-Extension Service approved plants
A few plants you're sure to admire to kick off your spring planting.
- Apr 11, 2012
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The Grass is Always Greener: Five Easy Ways to Make Your Backyard Eco-Friendly
Five tips to help make your yard more eco-friendly.
- Apr 11, 2012
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Dear Earth, I'm Sorry: Confessions of a non-composting, methane maker
The importance of composting and what benefits come from doing so.
- Apr 11, 2012
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Reduce Your Energy Costs
Lower the cost of the energy you use.
- Apr 11, 2012
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Top 10 Tips for Reducing Energy Usage While Cooking
Tips to lower the amount of energy you are using while you cook.
- Apr 11, 2012
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Buy Local and Organic
Stay green by buying local and organic produce.
- Apr 11, 2012
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The Green Issue 2017
420, Earth Day, Veganism... it's all in there.
- Apr 19, 2017
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Your Recycling Re-Education
Do you recycle? Well, you're probably doing it wrong.
- Apr 19, 2017
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Earth Day Movies
Edu-tainment for everyone
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More by Erin Foote Marlowe
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More Salt in Wound for Tourism Feud
- Jun 5, 2013
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Police Chief Proposes Bold Mass Shooting Prevention Plan
- Jun 5, 2013
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Open for Debate
Council will reconsider building heights along the river
- May 23, 2013
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