Living In The Green World

There are currently 400 million people worldwide facing severe water shortages, according to the United Nations. By 2050, that number will be 4 billion, yet the pain is already being felt around the country. In California, Governor Schwarzenegger has declared the first statewide drought in 17 years. Meanwhile, residents in some areas of Georgia were only recently relieved from a moratorium on car-washing and running sprinklers, while most of northeast Georgia still faces what officials are calling "extreme drought." All the while, an enormous amount of water is lost through seemingly minor drips around the house. A leaky faucet can lose up to 20 gallons of water a day, while a leaky toilet can flush an extra 200 gallons every day! What's worse, the toilet could be leaking and you might not even know it! To test for a leak, put five to ten drops of food coloring in the tank. If ten minutes later there's coloring in the bowl, you've got a problem.

Not sure how to stop the dripping? Check out H20use's repair guide, which includes sinks and toilets, or learn how to repair a faucet from the folks at How Stuff Works.

And if you're still having trouble, call your landlord, the plumber or the next-door neighbor who's really good with a wrench. Do whatever it takes to fix the leak in your sink, bath tub, toilet, garden hose. . .

© The Green Guide, 2008