Hershey, PA /PRNewswire/ - As the commonwealth swelters in the
latest heat wave, Pennsylvania American Water today recommended
water usage tips to help residents get the most out of every drop.
"We always urge customers to use water wisely, but this message
becomes even more important when extremely high temperatures,
increased demand and the lack of rainfall put added stress on water
supplies," said Daniel J. Hufton, senior director of production for
Pennsylvania American Water.
The company offered the following 10 tips to help consumers
reduce the environmental impact of water consumption both indoors
and outside the home:
- Water your lawn only when it needs it. An easy test to tell
if your lawn needs water is to simply walk across the grass. If
you leave footprints, it's time to water. (An added benefit of
watering less often is that fewer, deep-soaking waterings
encourage deep root growth and stronger turf.)
- Water in the early morning. As much as 30 percent of water
can be lost to evaporation by watering during midday.
- Set your lawn mower one notch higher to make your lawn more
drought-tolerant.
- Use drip irrigation hoses to water plants, and water in the
early morning or evening.
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your sidewalk,
driveway, or patio.
- Forego the hose and wash your car with a bucket and sponge
instead. According to EPA WaterSense, a hose left running can
waste as much as six gallons per minute while a bucket and
sponge uses only a few gallons to do the job.
- Keep a bottle of cold tap water in the refrigerator. You'll
avoid the cost and environmental impact of bottled water and
you'll have cold water available in the summer without running
the faucet.
- Run dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are full.
If you have a water-saver cycle, use it.
- Adjust the water level of your clothes washer, so that it
matches your load size.
- Regularly check your toilet, faucets and pipes for leaks and
have them fixed promptly. An easy test for toilet leaks from EPA
WaterSense: Place a drop of food coloring in the tank. If the
color tints the water in the bowl without flushing, there's a
leak. Pennsylvania American Water also recommends checking your
water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is
being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a
leak. Leak detection kits are available by calling the company's
customer service center, or by visiting the Learning Center at
www.amwater.com
for a downloadable pdf version.
Pennsylvania American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of
American Water (NYSE:
AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state,
providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services
to approximately 2.2 million people. Founded in 1886, American Water
is the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility
company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs
more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water,
wastewater and other related services to approximately 16 million
people in 35 states, as well as Ontario and Manitoba, Canada. More
information can be found by visiting
www.amwater.com.
SOURCE Pennsylvania American Water.
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