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If you’re in Wilmington, NC and you haven’t pledged 2 save 5 yet, then what is taking you so long? The campaign, developed by the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, asks Wilmington residents to pledge to save 5 gallons of water each day. If every resident took the pledge and did simple things including checking for leaks and cutting down on shower time, it would be enough to save 1,000,000 gallons of water per day!

If you’re a Wilmington resident and haven’t taken the pledge, don’t worry, Water - Use It Wisely has you covered. Click here to sign on to take the pledge and see the current list of pledges here. 

If you’re not a Wilmington resident why not take the pledge yourself. If one city can save that much water by itself imagine what we could all do collectively.

Check out the radio spot here

• Daily Water Tip: Support projects that use reclaimed wastewater for irrigation and industrial uses. #
• Daily Water Tip: Make suggestions to your employer about ways to save water and money at work. #
• Daily Water Tip: Drop your tissue in the trash instead of flushing it and save water every time. #
• Daily Water Tip: Insulate hot water pipes for more immediate hot water at the faucet and for energy savings. #
• Daily Water Tip: If your dishwasher is new, cut back on rinsing. Newer models clean more thoroughly than older ones. #

Two years into an ambitious five-year plan to improve energy-efficiency, recycling rates and greenhouse-gas emissions, Boeing has completed a project expected to save 870,000 gallons of water annually. Trying to save this much water across 23 buildings in Southern California is no easy task and we applaud the steps they took to make it happen. 

Boeing partnered with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to install motion-activated faucets and water-saving toilets throughout their 23 El Segundo facilities. Even before the five-year plan took effect in 2007, Boeing has worked to reduce its environmental impact. Since 2002, Boeing has reduced its water consumption by 29 percent at all U.S. operations facilities. Not bad. But their outlook for the future is even better. 

Craig Cooing is VP and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems and we’re impressed with the way he’s handling the announcement. “This accomplishment demonstrates our commitment to operational efficiency and environmental stewardship, but we have more work to do to further reduce our impact on the environment.”

Kudos Craig! Environmental accomplishments need to be celebrated but then we need to immediately ask what’s next or can we do more? We’re happy to see Boeing doing this and we hope more follow in their foot steps.

Arizona Partners include from left to right, Jo Cook - AMWUA, Sandra Rode - Goodyear, Cheryl Penner - Intern with Peoria, Carol Ward-Morris - AMWUA, Mary Lu Nunley - Phoenix, Jo Miller - Glendale, Leeann Spahos - Peoria, Rhonda Humbles - Peoria, Eric Braun - Gilbert, Cathy Rymer - Chandler, Sally Ceccarelli-Wolf - Arizona American Water, Donna DiFrancesco - Mesa, Karen Collins - SRP, Lynne Fisher - Bureau of Reclamation

It’s our tenth anniversary at Water – Use It Wisely and we’re celebrating with a makeover. Over the course of ten years we’ve grown from an idea founded in Metro Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa AZ to a worldwide movement with over 400 partners. Along the way we’ve learned some valuable lessons. The most valuable of which is that our success hinges on you. Our cause depends on you getting involved and spreading the message. So, to celebrate, and to continue in our mission, we’ve made getting involved easier than ever. 

Here are ten ways you can get involved in the campaign right now…

1.) Get the latest news and join the movement directly by reading, sharing and commenting on the Water – Use It Wisely blog. 

2.) Teachers can instantly download and print free flash cards for use in the classroom. The cards are a fun way to educate students on the importance of conserving water. 

3.) Become part of the global Water – Use It Wisely community on Facebook. Become a Fan, recruit your friends and join in the conversation.

4.) Learn new ways to conserve everyday by following us on Twitter. Receive daily water tips that keep you informed on simple ways to save water. 

5.) See for yourself the impact Water – Use It Wisely is having by viewing our photos on Flickr and watching videos on YouTube. Just watch or comment, share and upload your own. 

6.) Receive our regular E-newsletter and stay current on all the information that will help you in your conservation efforts. 

7.) Increase your brand recognition by connecting it with Water – Use It Wisely. Instantly download the logo directly to your website or social network. 

8.) Make an immediate impact and start saving today by accessing over 100 water-saving tips and tricks in the “100 + Ways to Conserve” section of the website.  Start yourself, then share with family and friends.

9.) Educate the next generation of conservationists by playing the “Tip-Tank” children’s game. Match the water-saving devices to teach kids that simple things can make a big difference.

10.) Build your own campaign instantly and affordably by visiting the online store. Start big or download and print a print ad for as low as $35.

Giving voice to the campaign meant building tools that make it easy for you to engage and share. Social media gives you the opportunity to directly invest in Water – Use It Wisely. So let your voice be heard, participate in conversations, start new ones, post photos, make videos and do anything else you want to get the buzz going. Whatever you want to do, we’ve built the tools to do it. 

Water – Use It Wisely Blog

Keep updated on all of the recent news by reading the Water – Use It Wisely blog. Sign up for the RSS feed and have the information fed to you instantly when a new post is written. Don’t stop after reading. Get involved by commenting and sharing. 

Facebook 

Become a fan of Water – Use It Wisely on Facebook. Here you have the chance to start or join a discussion, post photos and video, and even organize an event. Once you’ve joined, be sure to invite friends and family too. 

Twitter

Follow us on Twitter and receive a new water-saving tip everyday. Put it into practice and see how quickly you become a conservation expert. We’ll also post helpful information including links to other resources and more ways to get involved. 

Flickr

If you like looking at photos then follow our Flickr stream and see what the Water – Use It Wisely community is up to in pictures. Simply scroll through the photos or take action and comment, share or even better, take and post your own.

YouTube

If video is your thing, than visit our YouTube channel to interact with our videos and upload your own. We’re always looking to see how our friends out there are conserving so bust out the video camera and show us first hand.

• Daily Water Tip: Get 8 glasses of water a day by re-using water left over from cooked or steamed foods and use it to start a soup. #
• Daily Water Tip: Listen for dripping faucets and running toilets. Fixing a leak can save 300 gallons a month or more. #
• Daily Water Tip: Let your lawn go dormant during the summer. Dormant grass only needs to be watered every three weeks or less if it rains. #
• Participate in Kohler’s “Save Water America” campaign. Take the water quiz and $1 is donated to the cause - http://tinyurl.com/bkat2c #
• Daily Water Tip:Report broken pipes, open hydrants and errant sprinklers to the property owner or your water provider. #
• Help spread the word about water conservation. Please RT and become a Facebook fan of Water - Use It Wisely - http://tinyurl.com/6bkrcv #
• Daily Water Tip: If your toilet was installed before 1992, reduce water used per flush by inserting a displacement device in the tank. #
• Help spread the word about water conservation. Please RT and become a Facebook fan of Water - Use It Wisely - http://tinyurl.com/6bkrcv #

**First, a note to say we’re not asking you to stop drinking coffee. We certainly aren’t going to!**

Did you get coffee from your favorite coffee shop this morning? Did you put milk and sugar in it? Did it have a plastic lid? A sleeve?

If you answered yes to any of these (like I did), then please read Brian Merchant’s illuminating post, “How many gallons of water does it take to make your latte?” I’ll certainly make the changes he recommends. Little things can accumulate to massive water waste, but doing little things can also add up to huge savings.

It may not seem like much.  But the water you save by turning off that faucet when brushing your teeth or by taking a slightly shorter shower, can lead to hundreds, and even thousands, of gallons (and dollars!) saved in the long run.  

During the month of February, Water – Use it Wisely is highlighting the sometimes surprising ways you can save water.  Visit www.wateruseitwisely.com for ideas on ways you and your family can save water in your home each day.  Remember – there are a number of ways to save water and they all start with you!

For homes built after 1992, toilets use about 1.6 gallons per flush and can account for an astonishing 26 percent of indoor water use.  A running faucet goes through about 2.2 gallons each minute.  

And, showerheads use about 2.5 gallons per minute.  Knowing that, it’s a simple calculation to determine how much water you can save by minimizing the water you flush or let run down the drain.

Kohler has just launched a new water efficiency and sustainability effort called, “Save Water America.” The water conservation education promotion donates $1 worth of water-efficient products to Habitat for Humanity for every person who takes the short water quiz on their site. Their goal is to donate $1 million in water efficient products that will outfit about 600 Habitat for Humanity homes.

Kohler’s ultimate goal here is to sell water-efficient toilets.  Here are the six things they’re doing for their environmental promotion that are really smart.

1. Kohler is selling by educating: The quiz highlights the fact that nearly 50% of all toilets in America (about 100 million) are old school and waste at least two gallons of water with EVERY flush.
2. They found a fun way to talk about your toilet: How else do you engage customers about retrofitting their toilets than to literally have toilets rain down on you during the quiz. It’s kind of cool. Plus, they direct you to toilet rebate programs in your state where you can turn in your old toilet for a new, water-efficient one through your town or city.
3. They make water conservation interesting: Saving water isn’t always the most romantic subject. Kohler does a nice job here of engaging the visitor about the importance of water conservation throughout the home.
4. A tangible and relevant approach to cause marketing: Teaming with Habitat for Humanity is a natural extension of the promotion. Kohler started with $500,000 in seed money, and have had about 4,500 hits to their quiz.
5. Demonstrating industry leadership: Kohler products are inherently about water use, and now more than ever, water efficiency. By helping us all be greener (or bluer) through product demonstration, education, and cause marketing, Kohler is doing what an industry leader should: Providing the technology and education to make us all more environmentally sensitive consumers.
6. Singular focus on toilets: Too often, marketers try to accomplish too much with any one promotion.  Kohler could’ve also promoted low flow shower heads and faucet aerators as other important ways to save water in your bathroom, but that would’ve diluted their message. It’s all about toilets.

Please take the water conservation quiz. It takes about 30 seconds. You’ll help Habitat for Humanity in a small way, and you will learn how you can reduce your water use in a big way.

Water Facts from Kohler

• By 2013, 36 states anticpate water shortages
• More than 25% of your daily water use is flushed down the toilet
• 1.6 billions of water a day are wasted through flushing old toilets
• Equivalent of 25 billion glasses of drinking water can be saved, enough to fill 2,400 Olympic size swimming pools every day

Please retweet the quiz: Take the Kohler water conservation quiz and earn Habitat for Humanity $1 in water-efficient products: http://tinyurl.com/c4zd8t

• Daily Water Tip: To save water and time, consider washing your face or brushing your teeth while in the shower. #
• Daily Water Tip: Turn off the water while you shave and save up to 300 gallons a month. #
• Daily Water Tip: Catch water in an empty tuna can to measure sprinklers. 1 inch of water on 1 square foot of grass = 2/3 a gallon of water. #
• Daily Water Tip: When washing dishes by hand, fill the sink or container and rinse when all of the dishes have been soaped and scrubbed. #
• Daily Water Tip: Turn off the water while you wash your hair to save up to 150 gallons a month. #