21 ways to save water!

Never put water down the drain when there may be another use for it such as watering a plant or garden, or cleaning.

Verify that your home is leak-free, because many homes have hidden water leaks. Read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.

Repair dripping faucets by replacing washers. If your faucet is dripping at the rate of one drop per second, you can expect to waste 2,700 gallons per year which will add to the cost of water and sewer utilities, or strain your septic system.

Check for toilet tank leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear within 30 minutes.

Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, readily available and easily installed. (Flush as soon as test is done, since food coloring may stain tank.)

Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.

Take shorter showers. Replace you showerhead with an ultra-low-flow version. Some units are available that allow you to cut off the flow without adjusting the water temperature knobs.

Use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath by closing the drain first and filling the tub only 1/3 full. Stopper tub before turning water. The initial burst of cold water can be warmed by adding hot water later.

Don't let water run while shaving or washing your face. Brush your teeth first while waiting for water to get hot, then wash or shave after filling the basin.

Retrofit all wasteful household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors.

Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.

When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Quickly rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.

Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.

Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.

Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste instead of using a garbage disposal. Garbage disposals also can add 50% to the volume of solids in a septic tank which can lead to malfunctions and maintenance problems.

Consider installing an instant water heater on your kitchen sink so you don't have to let the water run while it heats up. This will reduce heating costs for your household.

Insulate your water pipes. You'll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.

Never install a water-to-air heat pump or air-conditioning system. Air-to-air models are just as efficient and do not waste water.

Install water softening systems only when necessary. Save water and salt by running the minimum amount of regenerations necessary to maintain water softness. Turn softeners off while on vacation.

Check your pump. If you have a well at your home, listen to see if the pump kicks on and off while the water is not in use. If it does, you have a leak.

When adjusting water temperatures, instead of turning water flow up, try turning it down. If the water is too hot or cold, turn the offender down rather than increasing water flow to balance the temperatures.
If the toilet flush handle frequently sticks in the flush position, letting water run constantly, replace or adjust it.

There are just some of the ways that you can save water, go to this website for more: http://www.americanwater.com/49ways.php

How to save Water with the correct Plumbing.

Water can be saved by having correct plumbing, such as pipes and faucets. Some examples of these are Low-Flush Toilets, Toilet Displacement Devices, Low-Flow shower heads, and faucet Aerators.

Low-Flush toilets use 1.6 gallons of water but the regular toilets use about 3.5 gallons per flush.

Toilet Displacement Devices are plastic containers such as plastic milk jugs can be filled with water or pebbles and can be placed in a toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush. With the container in the tank it can save about 1 gallon of water per flush.

Shower Heads account for about 20 percent of total indoor water use. By replacing standard 4.5 gallon per minutes shower heads with 2.4 gallon per minutes heads, which cost less than $5 dollars each. A family of four can save approximately 20,00 gallons of water per year.

faucet Aerators, break the flowing water into fine droplets and entrain air while maintaining wetting effectiveness. They are inexpensive devices that can be installed in sinks to reduce water use. They can reduces water use by as much as 60 percent while still maintaining a strong flow.

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What Did I Do?

Something that I did that has to do with saving the environment and electronic waste was that I reused my father's old phone. I wanted a new phone for a really long time and I was supposed to get one, but my father got a new phone as a present from his friends, and instead of buying a new phone, I decided that I will take my father's old phone. I will give my old phone to Ronald, my brother, and Ronald's old phone will be used as a spare phone.

Recycling Of E-Waste In China May Expose Mothers, Infants To High Dioxin Levels

Recycling Of E-Waste In China May Expose Mothers, Infants To High Dioxin Levels

70 percents of computers, TVs, cell phones, and other electronic waste (e-waste) is recycled in China each year. However, a study has concluded that Chinese recycluing methods actually increase dioxin levels in women and their beast-fed infants.
Ming H. Wong did studies of dioxin levels among women of child bearing age at an e-waste recycling site. He compared those levels to women in an area without e-waste recycling. Then, they analyzed the levels of dioxins. This proved that it's so much worse that serious health problems can be caused like cancer, develpmental defects, and other health problems that have to do with breast milk, placenta, and hair.
The levels of dioxin level taken from the e-waste site were much worse.

How Does E-Waste Affect Our Health and Environment?

How Does E-Waste Affect Our Health and Environment?

There are several health problems that are caused by electronic-waste because of the toxins that the electronic equipment contains. In 2003, a report written by Environmental Media Services said that electronic products contain hazardous materials (lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium).

Our computer monitors contain 6.3 percent. And according to EPA study, 40 percent of the lead in US landfills come from electronic products. Lead that has contact with the environment has higly acute and chronic toxic effects on plants, animals and microorganisms. Cadmium and mercury have a risk of irreversible health effects in humans.

Electronic waste is shipped from US to conuntries such as China, Pakistan, and India. In these countries recycling is done by hand with no protective gear. The drinking water then becomes polluted and risk to health, because glass and cathode ray tubes (which contain lead) get dumped into the rivers. When the workers in these countries burn the wastes without any protective clothing, they become physically weak.

Mexico Struggles to Deal with E-Waste

Mexico Struggles to Deal with E-Waste

Mexico's National Institute of Ecology (INE), did a study named "Diagnostic on the generation of electronic waste in Mexico.” It was done by the Interdisciplinary Center for Research and Sutides on Environment Development (CIIEMAD).
In this study, they recorded about 150,000 to 180,000 TONS of electronic waste, which were generated in 2006. These include laptops, desktop computers, recorders, fixed-line telephones, cellular telephones and televisions. These products contain many toxics (for examples: flame retardants), which greatly affect the environment, pollution, and human health.
According to the INE, there is no infrastructure in Mexico that could manage these wastes. At least, there is no formal infrastructure. Greenpeace Mexico has taken the responsibility by reclaiming used products and manufacturing cleaner and safer products. Companies should inform their employes that they should recycle electronic waste, or if it's useful, donate it.