Living green while blue: water conservation Published May 19, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Jarad A. Denton 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- Water is essential to life on this planet - it regulates the temperature of both the human body and the Earth, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells in the body, cushions joints, protects organs and tissues and removes wastes. While roughly 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's Web Site, only 1 percent of that water is available to sustain humanity's needs. With such a limited supply of water available, Airmen living on Ellsworth are expected to do their part in water conservation and sustainability said Stacey Heverly, 28th Civil Engineering Squadron housing management assistant. While Airmen won't start receiving utility bills until housing privatization is finalized, Mrs. Heverly encourages all residents to do their part in reducing the amount of resources they consume by conserving energy wherever possible. Water Conservation According to the EPA Web site, water efficiency practices are beneficial to the economy as well as the environment. The average U.S. household spends up to $500 a year on its water and sewer bill. By implementing a few changes, that bill could be reduced by approximately $170 a year. It takes considerable energy to treat and deliver the water used in homes every day. The EPA estimated a faucet running for five minutes used as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours. However, if all households in the United States installed water-efficient appliances, the country would save more than three trillion gallons of water and more than $18 billion dollars a year. Another way to look at it is, if one out of every 100 homes in America were retrofitted with water-efficient fixtures the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions would be equivalent to removing nearly 15,000 automobiles from the road for one year. Airmen, whether living on or off base, are able to make a few changes to their daily routine which will significantly impact the amount of water, money and energy saved. · Fix leaks - A leaky faucet, dripping at the rate of one drop per second, can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year. "Airmen can contact DGR [housing maintenance] on base, provide them with information about the leak and set up a time for them to visit the house and repair the problem," said Mrs. Heverly. · Showers versus baths - While a full bath tub may hold roughly 70 gallons of water, a five-minute shower uses only 10 to 25 gallons. A solution for those who enjoy taking baths is to stopper the drain immediately and adjust the temperature of the water as the tub fills. · Don't leave the water running - On average, a bathroom faucet flows at a rate of two gallons per minute. If an Airman turns off the tap while brushing their teeth in the morning and at bedtime it can save up to eight gallons of water a day, which totals 240 gallons per month. · Smart water - According to the EPA, the typical single-family suburban household uses at least 30 percent of their total water consumption for outdoor irrigation. This has led experts to estimate more than 50 percent water used in landscaping going to waste due to evaporation or runoff. Airmen on base are expected to conserve landscaping water by adhering to the established lawn irrigation schedule. If an Airman's address is an even number, they are authorized to water on even number days. If their address is an odd number, they are authorized to water on odd days. Watering hours are from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. - no overnight watering is permitted. Ellsworth Air Force is currently looking into a Xeriscaping initiative on base, said Dell Petersen, 28th Civil Engineering Squadron environmental flight chief. The Xeriscape project involves landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce the need for supplemental irrigation. It will lower water consumption on base, make water more abundant for other uses and reduce maintenance, gardening and lawn mowing time. · Laundry day - The average washing machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load. High-efficiency washing machines use less than 28 gallons. Airmen can conserve water by washing only full loads of laundry and selecting the appropriate size of the load on the washing machine. Another way for Airmen to positively impact water consumption is to monitor "peak" water times. The EPA Web site defines peak water use as "the time of year when residential water use is at its highest, usually in late July or early August." Peak water puts a strain on local water supplies and can even result in higher water and sewer charges when utility companies try to compensate for heaver demands on the water supply. According to the EPA Web site, "the average American home uses about 260 gallons of water per day; however, during peak season the average household can use about 1,000 gallons of water in a day." Some homes may use as much as 3,000 gallons on a peak day, which is equivalent to running a garden hose for nearly eight hours. However, if Airmen follow water conservation practices they can impact the amount of water wasted and greatly reduce the ecological footprint of Ellsworth Air Force Base. Editor's Note: This story is part of a series on ways Airmen can live green.