water wise living: everyday conservation guide for being green
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Water Wise Living: Everyday Conservation Guide for Being GreenTRANSCRIPT
WATERWISEWATERWISE
APUBLIC SERVICEOFUNITEDWATER TOMSRIVER
EverydayConservationGuide forBeing Green
LivingLiving
Dear Customer:
At UnitedWater we believe that making the planet sustainable is the
best job on Earth. It is a privilege to provide you with clean, safe drinking water
and an honor to protect our nation’s water supplies for generations to come.
As a customer, you also have an important role in preserving a precious
natural resource. By making water wise choices you can save water,
energy and money.
On the pages that follow,we offer suggestions for saving water inside
your home and for reducing the amount of water you use in your yard and
garden.We invite you to join us in our efforts to make the planet sustainable
by selecting the conservation methods that work best for your lifestyle.
Sincerely,
Rick Pfleiderer
Director of Operations
Call us formore information
or visit us atunitedwater.com.
CUSTOMERSERVICE CENTER
69 Devoe PlaceHackensack, NJ 07601
OFFICEHOURS:Monday – Friday,8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
PHONE: 877-565-1456
FAX: 201-487-9431
EMERGENCIES:732-349-0227
E-MAIL: [email protected]
PAYMENTOPTIONS
There are several waysto pay your bill:� Bymail� By phone� Electronically� On line� In person
Look for theWaterSense label to choose quality, water-efficient products.The label means the product meets the United States Environmental Protection Agency’sspecifications for performance. UnitedWater is a partner in the EPAWaterSense programthat makes it easy for Americans to save water and protect the environment.
For more information please visit the U.S. EPAwebsite at epa.gov/watersense.
United Water Toms River
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3Source: epa.gov/watersense
The averageAmerican uses about 100 gallons
of water every day. By installing more
efficient water fixtures and repairing leaks,
families can reduce indoor water use by
about 35 percent.
GET FLUSHWITH SAVINGS� Install aWaterSense
labeled toilet. It will use
20 percent less water
while offering equal or
superior performance.
� Check for toilet leaks
by adding food coloring
to the tank. If the toilet
is leaking, color will
appear in the bowl within
15minutes.
� Install aWaterSense
labeled aerator or faucet.
It will increase the
faucet’s efficiency by
30 percent without
sacrificing performance.
� Repair dripping faucets
and showerheads. One
drip per second can
waste more than 3,000
gallons per year.
CLEANUPYOURCOSTS� A full bathtub can require
up to 70 gallons of water,
while taking a 5-minute
shower uses only 10
to 25 gallons. Low flow
showerheads help save
evenmore.
� Turn off the tap while you
brush your teeth to save
8 gallons per day.
� Replace your old washing
machine with a high-
efficiency, ENERGY STAR®
labeledmodel. It will use
up to 50 percent less
water and electricity.
� Wash only full loads of
dishes and clothes or
lower the water settings
for smaller loads.
CHILL OUT!� Keep a pitcher of tap water in the
refrigerator instead of running
the faucet for cold water.
GREENINSIDELiving
AGALLONOF TAPWATERIS A SIGNIFICANTLYBETTERVALUETHANAGALLONOFBOTTLEDWATER.
ONEGALLONOFTAPWATER
ONEGALLON
OFBOTTLEDWATERVS.
WATERTip
Our yards are great places to relax and unwind. If you have a green thumb,
try planting a “xeriscape” or “conservation” garden. By following low-water landscaping
techniques, you can create a beautiful garden with lowwater andmaintenance
needs. Derived from the Greek word “xeros,”meaning dry, xeriscapes use native
plants that are drought tolerant and gardening techniques that minimize water use.
PLANNING&DESIGNTake time to plan your
garden. Consider soil and
light conditions, drainage,
maintenance level desired,
family interests and your
budget. Limit the use of
plants with high water needs.
Group plants with similar
water needs and place
plants that require the least
water the furthest from
your home.
SOILIMPROVEMENTSGood soil conditions help
reduce water needs. Before
you plant your garden be
sure to mix compost or peat
moss into the soil. This organic
matter will help the soil retain
water. If your yard is sloped,
you can use terraces and
retaining walls to reduce
water run-off.
PLANTSELECTIONAwide variety of lowwater
use trees, shrubs, flowers
and ground covers can
be used to grow a colorful
conservation garden.
Many require watering only
in the first or second year
after planting.
EFFICIENTIRRIGATIONIf additional water is needed,
install drip or trickle irrigation
systems.These are designed
to use water efficiently and
are available from local
garden centers.
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GREENOUTSIDELiving
GROUNDCOVERSCandytuft
Goldmoss Sedum
Lamb’s Ear
Periwinkle
Silver MoundArtemisia
Stonecrop
SHRUBS& TREESAdam’s Needle
Blue Carpet Juniper
Blue Maid Holly
Bluebeard
Golden Dust Plant
Golden Sword Yucca
Hollywood Juniper
Korean Spice Viburnum
Northern Bayberry
Winter King Hawthorn
PERENNIALSAutumn Joy Sedum
Black-eyed Susan
Coral Bells
Michaelmas Daisy
Montauk Daisy
Purple Coneflower
Tickseed
Woody Yarrow
Yarrow
PRACTICALLAWNSLimit the amount of area
you devote to a lawn and
select grass varieties like
fine fescues that require less
water andmaintenance. Plant
groundcovers in areas that
are difficult to mow.To reduce
water usage even further,
read about ET lawnwatering
on next page.
EFFECTIVEUSEOFMULCHMulch helps keep the soil
moist, smothers weeds
and prevents erosion. Use
mulches such as shredded
bark, shredded leaves, pine
needles or gravel in a layer
two inches deep.
MAINTENANCEIS ESSENTIALProperly timed pruning,
fertilization, pest control
and weeding will preserve
your landscape’s beauty.
Please be sure to use
pesticides and fertilizers
according to directions.
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SAMPLEPLANTS FORNEWJERSEY
� Water your lawnor garden duringthe cool morninghours to reduceevaporation. Don’twater on windy days.
� Look for sprinklersthat produce droplets,not mist.You canalso use soaker hosesor trickle irrigation.Make sure there areno leaks in your hoseor sprinklers.
� Set sprinklers towater lawns andgardens only, notthe pavement.
� Be sure your hosehas a shut-off nozzle.A hose without anozzle can spout10 gallons or moreaminute.
� Don’t over fertilizebecause that increasesthe need for water.
� Raise your lawnmower blade to atleast 3 inches. Tallergrass holds soil mois-ture better than aclosely cropped lawn.
� If you have a pool,use a cover toslow evaporation.It will keep yourpool cleaner andreduce the needto add chemicals.
� Whenwashingthe car, apply soapandwater from abucket, then usea hose with a shut-off nozzle for aquick final rinse.
� Use a broom or leafblower, not a hose,to clean your sidewalkor driveway.
WATERWISELY
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6
We all love a green lawn. But did you know that your lawnmay
account for nearly 50 percent of your summer water usage? Now you
can keep it green while saving water andmoney. Our ET program –
short for EvapoTranspiration – takes the guess work out of lawnwatering.
0.00” 00.25” 150.50” 300.75” 451.00” 601.25” 751.50” 901.75” 1052.00” 120
ETNUMBER
MINUTES
OFWATERING
We partner
with experts
from the South
Jersey Resource
Conservation and
Development Council who
help determine when your
lawn needs watering. They
measure water loss from
soil through evaporation
andmoisture loss from plants
through transpiration. Using
this information, they calculate
a daily “ET” number. That’s
the optimal amount of water
the average lawn truly needs
based on the day’s weather
conditions.All you have to do
is check the daily ET number
to find out exactly howmuch
water that your lawn needs.
By following the ET program,
your lawn can stay green and
healthy.And, you can reduce
your summer water usage
by up to 25 percent and
lower your water bill
by up to $200.
FIND TODAY’S ETNUMBEROnce you have the ET number, use the
chart to determine how long to
water your lawn. The ET number indicates
the number of inches of water your lawn
needs. The average sprinkler delivers about
one inch of water per hour.With ET you
typically need to water your lawn every
four days. The best time to water is before
9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.
BYPHONE
ET Hotline
732-349-0227
ext. 3034 after 8 a.m.
ONTHEWEB
unitedwater.com/ET
GREATGREENLAWN
Lots less water
So stop pouring water – andmoney – down the drain. Our conservation program
can help reduce your water use by up to 25 percent. It will also help you savemoney
on your water and energy bills. Themore you conserve, themore you save!
UnitedWater has partnered with Niagara Conservation to offer you high quality
conservation products at significant savings.We’re pleased to offer our customers
special pricing on three water-saving kits. The price includes shipping, handling
and taxes,where applicable.
TOPURCHASEAWATER-SAVINGKIT
ONTHEWEBwaterconservationproducts.com
BYMAILComplete and returnthe coupon below.
OUTDOORLANDSCAPEKIT
$700(Retail value $40.00)
STANDARDWATER-SAVINGKIT
$500(Retail value $30.00)
DELUXEWATER-SAVINGKIT
$1500(Retail value $65.00)
Check the box or boxes belowand enter the number of kitsyou would like to order.
Standard Kit: $5.00Quantity: ______
Outdoor Landscape Kit: $7.00Quantity: ______
Deluxe Kit: $15.00Quantity: ______
Name
Address
City State Zip
MAIL TO:UnitedWater
Communications Dept.
200 Old Hook Road
Harrington Park, NJ 07640
Pleasemake check payable to:NIAGARACONSERVATION
ORDER
YOUR
CONSER
VATION
KITNOW
!
MAKESDOLLARSANDSENSE
WATERWISELiving
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UNITEDWATERunitedwater.com
VISIT OURDEMONSTRATIONGARDEN15Adafre AvenueToms River, NJ
L.J.H. LANDSCAPING/LAWNCAREToms River, NJ732-237-0860
RUTGERSCOOPERATIVEEXTENSIONnjaes.rutgers.edu
UnitedWater’s eBilling program is an easy and
secure way to pay your water bill while helpingthe environment. By opting to have your water billsent directly into your email inbox, you can helpus protect and conserve our natural resources.
HERE’S HOWeBILLINGHELPS THE ENVIRONMENTIn just one year our paperless
eBilling program saved:
� 9,000 pounds of paper
� 7 tons of trees
� Over 66,000 gallons of water
� Reduced greenhouse gasesby 20,000 pounds
TO ENROLL IN eBILLINGand protect the environment,call us at 877-565-1456or visit unitedwater.com.
FORMOREINFORMATIONON
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