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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!

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!

We have a lot of passionate followers at Water – Use It Wisely and one of our biggest pleasures is getting to hear directly from them. That’s why we’re so excited about our social networks like Facebook and Twitter that allow us to have conversations with concerned citizens everyday. 

But sometimes we receive something so far beyond anything even the latest technology could provide. Such was the case with a letter that recently came in the mail from “impatient fourth grader,” Mya Oleksiak. Mya says what we’re all thinking in a way that only an incredibly bright fourth grader could. Here’s to hoping we can all be filled with the same passion and drive that Mya is. Thanks Mya, and we’re listening.

Remember how Elaine from Seinfeld went through the painstacking exercise to ensure all of her suitors were “spongeworthy?” Well, we’ve just launched new t-shirts here at Water – Use It Wisely and we’re taking a similar approach – we want to know if you’re “shirtworthy.” 

If you think you are, then tell us in 140 characters or less on Twitter and we’ll send the best entries a free shirt sized to order. It’s that simple. The most creative explanations of “shirtworthiness” get a free shirt.

Here’s what you have to do to be considered:

• Go to Twitter and begin a new entry  with “@wuiw” Your entry must start with this tag to be considered.
• Explain why you’re “shirtworthy” in the alloted space
• Contest will run from Friday, May 1 to Friday, May 8. 
• Once complete, Water – Use It Wisely will judge all entries and hand out shirts to the most creative entries. 
• Winners will be notified via Twitter the week of May 11

These aren’t your dad’s typical trade show swag t-shirts either. These are part of American Apparel’s Sustainable Edition brand, custom designed by Water – Use It Wisely. So if you want one, tell us why, and you might get one. Hope you’re “shirtworthy!”

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

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.

Unless sporting a cut off Judas Priest t-shirt, cranking your favorite metal record and grabbing the hose to give the ole’ Camaro a scrub down is something you look forward to, it’s likely washing your car is more hassle than anything else.  

Whether using your own driveway or traveling elsewhere, washing your can be a huge water waster. Thus, for our fifth water saving gift, we’d like to introduce you to something that turns washing the car from hassle to serenity. 

Bayes Waterless Vehicle Wash is a miracle unto itself.  With nothing more than the bottle and a rag, Bayes Waterless Vehicle Wash promises to clean, shine and protect your vehicle.  And trust us, it works.  We’ve tried it ourselves and the results were pretty amazing.  Perfectly clean and not a drop of water spilt.

So, when the weather turns cold, money gets tight, or you just can’t pull yourself away from that “Three’s Company” marathon, Bayes Waterless Vehicle Wash is the perfect fast and practical water conservation tool for car washers everywhere.

To pick up your Bayes Waterless Vehicle Wash click here.

A good shower is important for many reasons.  Among the most obvious benefits are that showers help us avoid unwanted odors and provide a comfortable place to belt out our best Whitney or Josh Groban tune (is that just me?).  However, the most overlooked shower element is that they are one of the main fronts on which the water conservation battle is waged.

Of course more direct measures like water-saving shower heads can be put into place, but for our fourth suggestion in the series we’re recommending a simple step you can take to dramatically limit your daily water consumption – digital shower timers courtesy of BigGreenSmile.com. 

These little beauties are an easy way to keep track of the amount of time you spend in the shower. Shortening your shower by one or two minutes can save roughly 150 gallons a month.  That’s simple savings made even easier with the help of a digital shower timer.  

Soon enough your showers will be like an exciting race against time.  And who knows, maybe you’ll be the catalyst to introduce the shower sprint to the 2012 Olympic Games.

We all have that person in our lives so obsessed with cleanliness that before entering their home we need a full briefing on the do’s and don’ts of appropriate footwear and drink placement.  Likewise, we all know the person so comfortable with a life of squalor and filth they have built an immunity to the smells and secretions emanating from their domain. 

While these people may seem like complete opposites, they can both benefit from our next water saving holiday gift …

The ergonomic aluminum handle broom is the perfect gift for either of the people listed above.  Standing 24 inches tall, this broom is sturdy, easy to use, and a perfect way to sweep the sidewalks or garage and save all the water that might have otherwise been wasted with a hose.

As an added bonus, the ergonomic aluminum handle broom is sure to be a devastating gift for anyone age 12 and under, thus providing a priceless holiday picture moment.

Pick up your broom by visiting the Ability One Catalog here.

The holidays are in full swing and rapidly approaching as evidenced by the look of panic hanging over those still searching for the perfect gift.  We’re betting that if you’re like us, most of the gifts you’ve received through the years have either gone back to their place of origin or disappeared from memory faster than Dad’s receding hairline.

If you’re yet to find the perfect gift this year we thought we’d help by suggesting a few items that would be fun, practical and help you conserve water along the way.  Over the course of the next 12 days, the “Water – Use It Wisely 12 Days of Christmas” will outline a potential water saving gift to put on your list or pick up for someone special.  It would be easy to suggest obvious water saving devices like upgraded toilets, and while we love you if you’re going that route, we decided to focus our efforts on the less obvious.

So without further ado, our first gift of the “Water – Use It Wisely 12 Days of Christmas” is…

The Li’l Guppy Multi Tool

It might not look like much but this little beauty, designed by Columbia River Knife & Tool, is perfect for catching those minor repairs before they escalate into something more serious.  The Li’l Guppy can take that leak you see outdoors from prime water waste offender to a thing of the past with a few swivels of the steel blade, adjustable wrench, screwdriver or any of the other numerous functions.

Of course the best part of the Li’l Guppy is that it’s small enough to take anywhere you want, yet noticeable enough to frighten even the most flagrant of water wasters. And trust us, soon enough everyone in the neighborhood will be asking to see your Li’l Guppy (and who doesn’t want that?)

Pick up a Li’l Guppy here at ThinkGeek.com.