We're For Water

One of my goals is to conserve water - and I started by having a free water meter installed in our home last month. Each time I’m about to turn on the faucet, take a shower or wash clothes, I think about – and appreciate - the water I can so easily access each day in my Chicago home.

My behavior has also changed. I take shorter showers and turn off the faucet while I’m doing other tasks. I use a soft, handled brush in the kitchen to clean and scrape plates and pots, instead of the water sprayer on the faucet. The brush also keeps my hands clean so I don’t have to wash my hands as often.

For drinking, I take a refillable aluminum bottle to yoga and make sure I drink all the water and don’t pour any out after class. I fill a glass bottle with filtered water for me and guests – and use the same glasses used for other drinks so fewer dishes need to be washed.

When I do laundry, I put clean clothes on drying racks to humidify rooms as the clothes dry, which also gives people, pets and plants much-needed moisture on these cold winter days and uses less energy and water than a humidifier.

For my car, I grab clean snow, which we’ve had no shortage of this winter, and wipe off windows, side mirrors and head- and tail-lights so the car needs fewer trips to the carwash.

As a gardener, this year I’ll use TWO rain barrels and our existing compost bin. We’ll install a 2^nd rain barrel in the front yard, which we’re getting free for joining the city’s Meter Save program. Using a compost bin means fewer food scraps in the disposal – and we make new soil from yard waste and veggie peels!

When I add to the garden, I’ll get native plants that need less water. As a bonus, I can get rebates on some native plants, as well as trees, shrubs, compost bins - and rain barrels - through the city’s ongoing program, Sustainable Backyards.

Haven’t heard of a rain barrel? They come in many designs, basic to fancy, and can be purchased at hardware, home improvement and garden stores during the warmer months. Each rain barrel can save 1,300 gallons of water during peak summer months, according to the EPA. This can reduce water use in warm weather months, when outdoor use accounts for as much as 40% of water use.

To take it to the next level inside my home, I signed a “We’re For Water” pledge on the U.S. EPA’s site. Here are the pledge’s first 3 steps:

1)     Check toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If the color appears in the bowl before flushing, there may be a leak.

2)     Tighten pipe connections to prevent dripping.

Even better: Install faucet aerators or showerheads.

3)     Replace fixtures, as needed– check for WaterSense labels.

Aerators are the small screens screwed to the end of faucets and can (usually) be taken off easily to clean out gunk or residue. Old aerators use generally 2 to 3 gallons per minute (or gpm), whereas a new aerator can cut water use down to 1.5 gallons per minute.

Showering accounts for about 17% of water use in the U.S., and showerheads are now being designed to use less water – and still provide a quality shower. According to the EPA, the average American family could save 2,300 gallons of water by switching to more efficient showerheads. Utility bills will also be lower as less energy is needed to heat (less) water for sinks and showers.

As I searched for rebates, I saw forms for water heaters and furnaces and, sure, that makes sense as they’re big ticket items that use a lot of energy. However, I was surprised to see other items pictured on the site, including programmable thermostats, pipe insulation and compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

“This could take a while,” I thought, expecting different forms for each item on the Home Energy Jumpstart  site, which is a joint program between People’s Gas and ComEd to get customers to conserve energy – and, consequently, water.

Unless my eyes deceived me, all the items listed were available for FREE?! To confirm, I read the People’s Gas site again:

Get energy-saving products installed in your home for free through the Home Energy Jumpstart Program, offered in partnership with ComEd.

The program is available to owners of single-family homes, two-flats and individually-metered condos and townhomes. Renters are also eligible, with permission from their landlord.

In addition to the free items below, you also can receive a $250 bonus rebate on top of the standard rebates from the Peoples Gas Home Energy Rebate Program when you install a qualifying high-efficiency furnace, boiler or water heater.

Call 855-849-8928 to get started. Please have your Peoples Gas and ComEd account numbers handy when you call.

I grabbed my latest gas bill and called the number. Within 3 rings, I was on line with a representative and within 2 minutes, I had an appointment for, get this, FREE products AND installation of ALL ITEMS on the site: programmable thermostat, aerators, showerheads, CFL’s and pipe insulation. I hit the jackpot!!! 

The representative said the crew will have all the materials to install including multiple aerators and showerheads for the kitchen and bathrooms, so I guess I can recycle that list I started for the home improvement store. And I just need to wait until my appointment on March 5. 

Ready, set, jumpstart!! (Stay tuned for an update after March 5).