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Did you know that mulch provides year-round protection for your plants?  It provides warmer soil in winter, cooler soil in summer and prevents water from evaporating from the soil too quickly.  Mulch slows weed growth during the warmer spring and summer months, and reduces the impact of foot traffic. Organic and mineral mulches also give [...]

Come Super Bowl Sunday, about 90 million Americans will be sitting down to football’s biggest game. If all of these viewers get up to use a toilet at halftime, the result would be about 300 million gallons flushing in near sync – now that’s one super flush! However, if everyone was using a WaterSense labeled [...]

Although many Americans turn off unused lights and take other energy-saving approaches inside their homes, fewer use energy or water-saving approaches in their yards and gardens. A 2008 online survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Society of Landscape Architects found that only 23 percent of respondents used rakes and other manual options for [...]

Because we generally use less water at this time of year, in most climates winter is a good time to check your water use to determine if you have silent plumbing leaks that could be wasting water. Viewer Tip: Check for leaks by looking over your water bill. If a family of four uses more [...]

Ah-choo! As the mercury drops outside, cold and flu season arrives. Flushing facial tissues down the toilet can waste three to seven gallons per flush with older toilet models. Eliminating just one flush per day could save nearly 1,300 gallons per year, or enough water to wash about 32 loads of laundry! Viewer Tip:  Don’t use your toilet [...]

Holiday dinner guests often mean extra food and dirty dishes—which can mean extra water used in your home. But if every household dropped their daily water use by 10 gallons this holiday season, it would save more than one billion gallons of water—enough for one million households with dishwashers to wash their dishes for a year. Viewer [...]

Did you know that the average Texas resident uses about 164 gallons of water per day? In single family homes, a significant amount of water goes towards maintaining a lawn or landscaping. Indoors, the toilet is often the main source of water use – in a typical home, toilets account for about 30 percent of [...]

Did you know that the average California resident uses about 192 gallons of water per day? In single family homes, more than half of that water may go to maintaining a lawn or landscaping. Inside, significant water use takes place in the bathroom – toilets can account for up to 32 percent of water used [...]

Today, November 15, is America Recycles Day.  When materials are recycled instead of going to a landfill, valuable resources can be recovered and used again. Recycling common household items also has a big impact on energy and water use.  Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees and 7,000 gallons of water; recycling just one [...]

Did you know that it takes a considerable amount of energy to heat water for tasks such as showering or washing? In fact, letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours. Viewer Tip:  To help reduce your gas or electric bills [...]

Did you know that poor quality soil increases the amount of water needed to irrigate lawns and gardens? Soil improvements, such as adding compost or other similar soil amendments, can reduce your irrigation needs by 20 percent. That’s a reduction of more than 16,000 gallons annually per household in states where irrigation is prevalent, or [...]

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: [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]