Show THIS SUMMER DROUGHT CONDITIONS have hit much of America hard Here are some easy steps you can take at home to conserve our most precious natural resource Outdoors BTCATCH THE RAIN Don’t let precious rainwater wash away ! Rim your gutter downspout into adn-barravailable at garden stores or you can make your own with a plastic trash el fclrPlrainbarnlshtm oh the Web) Use the water collected fix your garden BY W A R R E N SC HU LT CAUGHT WATERING THEIR lawns this summer could face 90 days in jail The pun- ishment is harsh because across the US—from Vuginia Which has had a rainfall deficit of almost 9 inches this year to (Mfornia where rainfaU is 30 below normal— a persistent drought has spawned water restrictions leav-ing public fountains dry in New York City and cars dusty 0COVERTHE POOL Z An average-size- gallons d Cover your pod when not in use to cut the loss by up to 90 JSSIDENTS OF SILT COLO "VV : VV : I Indoors V inFrederickMdEvenifyowownisn’tsubjecttDdiought restrictions there’s plenty you can do to conserve wa- ter—and save on your utility bills while you’re at it By (hutting off'tha fauoat while brushing your teeth you can aova at leeet lOOO gallons of water e year mjfhte Collect root runoff by ptnolng a roMbarrol under the gutter downspout ETturn off THE TAP An open faucet will send about 7 gallons of water down the drain evety minute Doa’t let the water nm while brushing your teeth Fop more tips visit J f BTreininkydUr LAWN AND GARDEN It takes 27000 gallons of water each week to keep one acre of grass green ’ Shrink your lawn by drought-tolerai- tt ground-cov- er plants such as caqxt bugle creeping juniper or wormwood Plants with succulent or leathery wwwpigovwatar cftiimitWngitodoMml on the Web leaves usually need less water and most conifers require lessthan deciduous sfaiubs and trees In your garden mulch more to reduce evapo-ratio-n and fertilize less The more you feed plants the bigger they Similarly when wiashing turn off die water to apply soap then rinse again grow and the more water they need When water-in- g is allowed— usually gfFIX 0 in the morning or at BUY WATER-SAVIN- APPLIANCES up to 2700 gallons a yes' Less conspic-uousa- re toilet leaks which ypii can spot by putting a fewdrops of food coloring into foe tank See if the color seeps into the bowl—this represents water that's going Straight down the toileL re- placing turfgrass with or shaving and save at least 1000 gallons a year LEAKS Household leaks account for an astounding 13 ofall home water pool can lose 1000 of water s month to evaporation G v If you’re replacing appliances look for the Energy Star label An Energy Star washing machine can save up to 7000 gaDonsofwaterayearAlow-flpwtoi- -' let uses 3 gallons less per flesh Many municipalities' offer rebates for pur- - Even trade-i- n if you can’t afford at least install a g major low-flo- w shower head (cost: $10 to $60) And to cut down on the amount of water used for each toilet flush submerge a milk bode in brick or a water-fillethe tank (Flush only when necessary) d leeply to encourage deep that withstand dry periods can rooting Above all leam to love waten lf you findit hard to break wasteful habits fanned when water seemed cheap and plentiful remember that what's heading down the drein is the same stuff you pay W JULY tt lOOS MMOUMMUMl |