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Our 136 gallon Water Tower Pyramid is making its debut at the Town Hall at Fountain Hills, AZ for the very first time!

It is set up in the rotunda just as you come in to the front entrance of Town Hall so you can’t miss it. If you haven’t seen this impressive structure before, you can take advantage of its time in Fountain Hills as it will be displayed for the whole month of November.

Check it out and get some important information on the amount of water you use each day and how you can reduce your use. Helpful tips can be found here.

Last Saturday, Water – Use It Wisely mascot, Wayne Drop, and Charlie “The Recycling Chimp” visited the City Hall at the Mall event at the Superstition Springs Mall in Mesa, Arizona.
Together they make a great pair because the more we recycle, the more water is conserved! Did you know that recycling one ton of paper can save 7,000 gallons of water?! Manufacturing a product from recycled materials takes a lot less water than the water needed for the same product made from raw materials.
Make Wayne Drop and Charlie happy by choosing to recycle and using water wisely!

The City of Mesa’s free “Living Green” workshop series continues Saturday, May 14, at 1:30 p.m. with a seminar on Green Remodeling: The Greenest Building is the Existing One, presented by Philip Beere, Founder of GreenStreet Development. The program will take place at the Mesa Red Mountain Branch Library, 635 N. Power Road in Mesa.

When building or remodeling your home, there are many ways to be more green, and saving water is one of them. Easy green principles to follow include resource conservation, indoor environmental quality, livable communities, energy efficiency and water conservation.

To save water incorporate these tips into your home:

•Incorporate EPA’s WaterSense labeled toilets, showerheads and faucets.
•When buying a clothes washer or dishwasher, check the Consortium for Energy Efficiency Web site (www.cee1.org) to compare water use between models.
•Use Xeriscape principles for your landscape including low-water using plants and efficient drip irrigation to reduce outdoor use.
•Don’t forget to consider gray water or rainwater harvesting systems for landscape irrigation as well and permeable pavement for surfaces.

To learn more about this program or other Living Green workshops, visit our site or call (480) 644-4400 for more information.

Mesa is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners, many of whom offer water-wise workshops. Check out all of the partner programs at the Water – Use It Wisely calendar on our home page.

Friday, April 29th is Arbor Day a special day set aside to encourage the planting and proper care of trees. So what do trees have to do with saving water? Let’s take a look:

1. A well placed tree can reduce energy use in your home up to 40%. Did you know that the electrical power industry is one of the greatest consumers of water for cooling and other processes? This means that saving energy, ultimately saves water. Find some great design and tree placement tips in the Water - Use It Wisely design section.

2. Here in central Arizona it has been found that up to 70% of water use is outdoors, so watering your yard efficiently is one of the best and easiest ways to save water. However, there are so many trees available that are beautiful, functional and low-water using. Check out the plant selection guide on our site of low-water use trees, shrubs and more we make available on our site. You can also request our free colorful booklet, Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert from your Water - Use It Wisely water provider.

3. Plants don’t save water, people do! OK, so trees can’t provide every benefit. We know they help clean pollutants from the air, replace CO2 with oxygen, reduce water pollution and provide great habitat for wildlife. However, to really save water, they have to be watered properly by you. Water - Use It Wisely has a simple guide to keep your plants healthy and beautiful while saving thousands of gallons of water a year in your landscape. Just check out our Landscape Watering by the Numbers: A Guide for the Arizona Desert.

If you’re ready to celebrate Arbor Day by planting a tree, we’ve got one more helpful resource. Our planting trees and shrubs guidelines will teach you the latest University of Arizona planting recommendations for best success.

If you want to attend a tree planting ceremony in your community, contact your town or city for opportunities. The City of Mesa will conduct tree planting ceremonies at Augusta Ranch Park, 9455 E. Neville, and at S. Dobson Ranch Park, 2359 Dobson Road at 10 a.m. Tree experts will discuss proper tree care and the proper planting methods at each site. Find details on tree plantings, landscape nurseries’ Arbor Day specials, tree selection, planting and tree care guides, how to hire a tree care expert and more.

Party for the Planet with Water - Use It Wisely at Earth Day at the Phoenix Zoo, Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find our booth at the Harmony Farm area to learn about water and how to live sustainably. Check out our quacking trivia challenge as everyone who plays will win a prize!

Learn more about Earth Day at the Phoenix Zoo.

April is Water Awareness Month! Mesa is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners planning events for Water Awareness Month. People across the nation are celebrating water, including celebrities! Follow this link to watch more celebrity videos at savewatertoday.org

Every gallon you save will help reduce the chance of 36 states having severe water shortages by 2013. It is time we all work to conserve our precious water!

To learn about events taking place in Arizona and to find more resources on water conservation check out waterawarenessmonth.com

Stop by the Water—Use It Wisely booth at this year’s BIG Green Expo to see how your water use stacks up! You will be amazed at our pyramid of water jugs depicting Valley home water usage each day. Get your free raffle ticket at our booth (#602) and your chance to win over 35 prizes with values up to $300. Learn more about the prizes on the Water—Use It Wisely site.

And, for visiting our blog you can now download a ticket for free admission.

The BIG Green Expo & Conference has something for everyone. It is Arizona’s largest green conference — with 200 exhibitors and more than 10,000 individuals participating in the event.

The BIG Green Expo & Conference targets both the commercial and residential industries. The expo showcases sustainable products and services impacting every area of life. Those attending the conference will hear from prominent industry voices on both a local and national level, who will share their insight and knowledge of an environmental-friendly future.

For more information on the the BIG Green Expo and parking discounts click here.

Learn how to make your landscape a wildlife-friendly space. Mary Irish, horticulturist and author will educate you on the best plants to select, and how to minimize or eliminate the need for pest control or fertilization. She will show how to make your yard a magnet for birds, butterflies and other desert wildlife all while using plants that are water efficient too! Join us Saturday April 9th, at 1:30 p.m. at the Mesa Main Library, 64 E. First St.

Mesa is one of fifteen Water – Use It Wisely regional partners celebrating Water Awareness Month. Look for more resources and events taking place this April at waterawarenessmonth.com

Photo by Jeff Lee

Many often think of being ‘green’ as a practice that focuses on energy savings, but it is important to not forget the importance of saving ‘blue.’ Not only is water a limited natural resource, but there is also a fundamental water-energy connection. The treatment and delivery of water requires a lot of energy, but it takes a lot of cooling water for energy production, too. Tragically, the current crisis at the Fukushima Daini nuclear plant in Koriyama, Japan has highlighted the cooling water demands.

In support of saving energy (and saving water) Earth Hour will take place Saturday, March 26th at 8:30 p.m. local time, and is an event in which millions of Americans will turn out their lights for one hour in support of action on climate change toward creating a cleaner, safer and more secure future. 2011 marks the fourth year of the event which had a record 128 countries and territories around the world participate last year as lights dimmed on such global icons as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney’s Opera House, the Great Pyramids of Gaza and New York’s Empire State Building.

Here’s how you can participate in Earth Hour:
• Turn off your lights from 8:30-9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, March 26, 2011
• Commit to reducing your energy consumption in the year ahead
• Visit www.earthhour.org to find out how to continue making a difference in the fight against climate change

Let’s show our Arizona pride! Arizona has been chosen as this year’s partner for EPA’s WaterSense Fix a Leak Week. Join your fellow Arizonans in taking a pledge to find and fix leaks. Also, come out and join Leaky Loo McFlapper, the running toilet, at the inaugural “We’re for Water” 4-Mile Race and Family-Fun Day at Rio Vista Community Park in Peoria, AZ on March 19th. Go AZ!