This is the campus-wide Harvard University Green Tip of the Month.
Harvard University Green Tip of the Month


Use Less Water!

Waste less water this month! Did you know that at least 36 states (including Massachusetts) could be facing water shortage problems in the next four years?* Droughts could worsen that outlook.

Why is this happening? Our population keeps growing, and with it, our water consumption. The average American uses 100 gallons of water each day - that's enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses. Of those 100 gallons, the average American wastes roughly 1/3 - or about 30 gallons - of usable water daily*.

The good news? That leaves a lot of room for an individual to change their impact.

* EPA WaterSense http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/waterenergy.htm


Setting the Record Straight

September Green Tip

Despite what many assume, even using cold water consumes significant energy. Roughly 4% of U.S. electricity consumption is due to moving or treating water and wastewater! In fact, letting a faucet run for five minutes (on cold) consumes about as much energy as leaving a 60-watt light bulb on for 14 continuous hours*. Of course, a considerable amount of additional energy goes into heating water for bathing, cooking, and cleaning our homes, dishes, and clothes.

* EPA WaterSense


A Drop in the Bucket: Your Actions Add Up!

During the summer of 2008, Harvard Real Estate Services (HRES) replaced over 2,700 standard showerheads with water efficient aerators in kitchens and bathrooms. The showerheads and aerators mix air into the water stream, creating steady pressure for a more even spray and less wasted water. After a year of monitoring water bills, the results are in: this project saved over 8.5 million gallons of water, and $118,000, in the first year!

If all of Harvard's dorm/apartment residents shaved just 1 minute off their daily showers, we would save over 9 million gallons of water per year, which would also save:

  • $480,000 in utilities bills
  • 500,000 pounds of CO2

That's like taking 930 cars off the road!


Other Ways to Plug the Drain

Participate in some of these water conservation challenges proposed by the U.S. EPA:

  • The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of two gallons per minute. Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth in the morning and at bedtime can save up to 8 gallons of water per day, which equals roughly 240 gallons a month!
  • Replace your showerhead with a more efficient model if you've got long-shower guilt.
  • An average washing machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load. High-efficiency washing machines use less than 28 gallons of water per load. To achieve even greater savings, wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate load size selection on the washing machine.
  • If 1% of American homes replaced their older, inefficient toilets with WaterSense-labeled models, the US would save more than 38 million kWh of electricity—enough to supply more than 43,000 households’ electricity for one month.


Resources
Want to do more? Visit http://green.harvard.edu/green-tip