CES taps water conservation tips

  • Published
  • By Kent Seaton
  • 341st Civil Engineer Squadron
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  A water leak that drips one drop per second consumes up to 3,000 gallons in a year, according to an online Environmental Protection Agency quiz on water conservation.
So, what can be done to prevent wasting so much water? 

First of all, people can turn their faucets off, and if there is a persistent leak, they should report it to housing maintenance to be fixed. 

Next, people should be mindful of other places water is used on a daily basis, such as washing machines. Try to wash clothes only when necessary, and wash full loads of laundry. For example, doing laundry to wash one towel is not an efficient use of water. 

Lastly, lawn irrigation is one of the biggest uses for water. People may become frustrated having to remember to run outside to turn sprinklers on and off. They are commonly left on for longer periods than desired. The self-help store in building 220 has mechanical water timers that are free for base residents. 

Jose Guzman, 341st Civil Engineer Squadron housing management assistant, suggests people set their timers to 40 minutes for each section of lawn.
Watering early in the morning allows grass time to hydrate, promoting photosynthesis throughout the day, he said. 

Mechanical water timers are available throughout the summer. 

To learn more about water conservation tips and to see how you rate, take the water conservation quiz online at: http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/water/text.htm.