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• Food coloring and a couple more water-saving tips from our friends at Digital Rabbit - http://tinyurl.com/yzqe824 #

• Water - Use It Wisely debuts new video series, “Tinkling with Ryan” - http://tinyurl.com/yzs7dqr #

Water - Use It Wisely invites you to check out its new video series, “Tinkling with Ryan.” The series provides regular entertaining takes on water conservation news and tips. In the first episode, Ryan shows you how easy it is to install a water-saving shower head. Believe me, if this guy can do it so can you.

• Catch the first episode of “Tinkling with Ryan” and learn how to install a water-saving shower head - http://tinyurl.com/yjve9ty #

Tomorrow, October 8, Guy  Laliberte, Founder of Cirque du Soleil and President of the One Drop Foundation is launching Moving Stars and Earth For Water, and online event to raise awareness of water-related issues. The event brings together personalities including former U.S. VP Al Gore, Dr. David Suzuki, U2 and Shakira to heighten awareness of water-related issues in a way only Cirque du Soleil could.

While the event will certainly be spectacular (and you can find out all the details about how you can participate here), visit Laliberte’s “One Drop Foundation” site and pledge a behavior that will make an immediate impact. The event might be tomorrow but water conservation is something you can pledge to do year round.

• WUIW daily tip- Listen for dripping faucets and running toilets. #
• WUIW daily tip- Use sprinklers for large areas of grass. Water small patches by hand to avoid waste. #
• WUIW daily tip- Use a water-efficient showerhead. #
• WUIW daily tip- Plant with finished compost to add water-holding and nutrient-rich organic matter to the soil. #
• WUIW daily tip- Use sprinklers that deliver big drops of water close to the ground. #

Jeans. We all love them. We all have them. In fact, most of us have a lot of them. According to a Cotton Inc. survey, the average American owns 8.3 pairs of jeans. American teens average 11 pairs of jeans. As much as I love jeans I actually come in on the low end of this survey at 5 pairs, 2 of which I haven’t worn in years.

Having this many jeans already seems a bit excessive. But when you factor in that it takes 1,800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one pair of jeans, this suddenly seems to go far beyond excess. It’s unreasonable to suggest that we no longer buy jeans or condemn those that do. After all, jeans are as much a part of America as apple pie and angry political debates.

But armed with this statistic it does seem that we should find a use for the jeans we all have soaking up space in our closets. If we’re going to use the water to grow the cotton to make the jeans, let’s put our old jeans back to use.

So in addition to asking you to follow our more traditional water saving tips we’d also like to ask that you donate your old jeans. Make them useful again by donating them to your local Goodwill and we’ll dramatically reduce our water consumption. Not only will our environment thank you but so will the person you just helped get a new pair of jeans.

• WUIW daily tip- Check for soil moisture two to three inches below the surface before watering. #
• WUIW daily tip- Apply water only as fast as the soil can absorb it. #
• WUIW daily tip- Walkways and patios provide space that doesn’t ever need to be watered. #
• WUIW daily tip- Spread a layer of organic mulch around plants to retain moisture and save water. #
• WUIW daily tip- Designate one glass for your drinking water each day or refill a water bottle. #
• WUIW daily tip- Plant shrubs and ground covers appropriate to your site and region. #
• WUIW dailiy tip- Plug the tub before turning the water on, then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up. #

Remember how your mom would ask if you’d jump off a bridge just because your friend did? Of course you wouldn’t, but now some scientists are betting that if a group of friends jumped off that bridge you might very well follow.

What does this have to do with water conservation? Well, conserving water is about adopting behaviors and it turns out it’s far easier to adopt behaviors as part of a group than on your own. As ASU professor, Robert Cialdini found out, simply changing the wording on hotel towel reuse signs can contribute to saving 7 trillion gallons of water - a theory dubbed “social proof.”

Not convinced? Check out the study here.

• WUIW daily tip- Grab a wrench and fix that leaky faucet. #
• WUIW daily tip- Use a hose nozzle or turn off the water while you wash your car. #
• WUIW daily tip- Turn off the water while you wash your hair to save up to 150 gallons a month. #
• WUIW daily tip- Consider washing your face or brushing your teeth while in the shower. #
• WUIW daily tip- Consider upgrading with air-cooled appliances for significant water savings. #
• WUIW dailiy tip- Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening to minimize evaporation. #
• WUIW daily tip- When running a bath, plug the tub before turning the water on. #