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You’ve probably heard about carbon footprints, but have you ever thought about water footprints? Freshwater is used for many common activities like showering, watering lawns and brushing teeth.  But did you know that gallons of “hidden” water also go into making many of the products we use every day?  Water is used to needed to [...]

In March 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds launched a water quality video contest to inspire environmental stewardship and educate the public on ways individuals can improve water quality in their community. Here, watch the winning videos and several honorable mentions. These videos are in the public domain – [...]

Did you know that you can look for the WaterSense label to save water, energy and money on faucets, showerheads and toilets when remodeling your bathroom? Just by purchasing WaterSense labeled products, consumers saved more than $2.5 million in utility bills and enough water fill the Empire State building 130 times in 2009.
Viewer Tip:

Look [...]

Did you know that up to 50 percent of the water you sprinkle on your lawn and garden could be wasted from evaporation and runoff? July and August are peak water use months because so many people water outdoors.
Viewer Tip: Remember that if you water wisely, you can save a lot of blue while [...]

Are you for Water? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking you to take the “I’m for Water” pledge this summer and try a few simple changes to save water at home.

Check toilets for silent leaks; fixing an old flapper can sometimes save big.
Twist on a faucet aerator and save water and energy without a [...]

Did you know that an average garden hose flows at at a rate of 10 to 16 gallons per minute? A broken sprinkler head wastes approximately 300 gallons of water per hour!
Viewer Tip: With less than one percent of freshwater available for human use, water conservation is extremely important.  Help reduce your outdoor water [...]

The average American family of four uses 400 gallons of water per day – much of that water is used in the bathroom.  Installing low flow shower heads and faucet aerators are some of the most effective water conservation measures you can take at home. These devices can reduce water consumption by as much as [...]

Earth Gauge Video is available for this tip.
Do you like a beautiful yard, but not the time, effort and money required to maintain it? In hot, dry climates, the water required to maintain a lush landscape can be costly. Just one lawn sprinkler operating three times per week can use more than 1,000 gallons of [...]

Did you know in the arid West, an estimated 90 percent of desert wildlife relies on riparian areas for at least some part of their life cycles? Riparian areas are ecosystems that exist near a body of water and form vital linkages between streams and the surrounding uplands. Habitats in the Southwest face many of [...]

Friday, April 30 is National Arbor Day.  Trees add beauty to our landscape, but they also provide many environmental benefits:

Just one acre of forest puts out about four tons of oxygen – enough for four people for an entire year.
Adding trees around your home can increase its value by up to 15 percent.
One young, [...]

This week is National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), the nation’s largest environmental education event held each year the week before Earth Day to inspire environmental learning and stewardship among students and the public. This year’s EE Week theme is “Be Water and Energy Wise,” highlighting the water-energy connection and the importance of conserving both [...]

Showering accounts for about 17 percent of residential indoor water use – up to 30 gallons of water per household per day. According to EPA, we use 1.2 trillion gallons of water every year in the U.S. just for showering. That’s enough water to meet the water needs of New York and New Jersey for [...]

Did you know that the average American household uses about two-thirds of its water outside? Most is used to water lawns and as much as half of that water is wasted by inefficient watering, either too often or at the hottest part of the day when water evaporates quickly. When we conserve water at home, [...]

You may as well collect! The upcoming dry summer months are probably the last thing on your mind during heavy late winter and spring rains. At this time of year, it may seem like it will never dry out, but it’s important to remember that a hot summer is just around the corner. So why not collect that [...]

The Great Lakes account for nine-tenths of North America’s surface freshwater, but less than one percent of their water is renewed each year by snow and rain. It would take 100 years for nature to replace even one gallon of water lost from the lakes. This slow recharge rate means we must take care to [...]

We don’t often associate the desert with trout habitat, but the gila (HEEL-a) trout, or “trout of the desert,” is a unique species that lives in the arid climate of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.  Unfortunately, the gila trout has suffered severe population declines over the past 100 years and currently occupy only a fraction [...]

This Halloween, take a minute to teach your little G.I. Joes and Cinderellas a thing or two about conserving water when it’s time to brush their teeth after all those treats.
Viewer Tip: Turning off the tap while you brush your teeth saves eight gallons per day, adding up to enough water in a year to take 170 [...]

Most people don’t realize the considerable amount of energy it takes to deliver, treat and heat the water they use. In fact, American public water supply and treatment facilities consume about 56 billion kilowatt-hours per year—enough electricity to power more than five million homes for an entire year. In California, water-related energy use accounts for [...]

If the water we use is replenished by precipitation, why do we need to save it? The short answer is that while water can be purified and reused over and over thanks to the natural water cycle and wastewater treatment technology, it may not be available everywhere—or every time—it’s needed. When we all use water [...]

Did you know that at least 30 percent of the water you use at home is outdoors? In drier parts of the country, homeowners use as much as 70 percent of their water outdoors.
Viewer Tip: This autumn, look for ways to be more water-efficient and fall into good water habits.

Adjust your watering schedule each month [...]