Fixing Small Leaks Conserves Water, Saves Money

The sound of a dripping faucet or running water inside the toilet is more than a minor annoyance; you are wasting water and pouring money down the drain. In fact, more than one trillion gallons of water are wasted each year in U.S. homes due to leaks. To raise awareness of the problem, the Environmental Protection Agency organized the “Fix a Leak Week” (March 15-21) campaign aimed at educating homeowners on how to locate and repair water leaks.

For example, during Fix A Leak Week, Pennsylvania American Water teamed up with plumbers to demonstrate how to find and repair leaks, as well as install water-saving fixtures. Live demonstrations for the media took place at the Ronald McDonald Houses in Hershey and Scranton; the Rainbow Kitchen in Homestead, Allegheny County; and Krause Youth Center in New Castle, Lawrence County. Pennsylvania American Water and many industry leaders are members of the EPA’s WaterSense program.

Leaks can account for an average of 10,000 gallons of water wasted in the home every year, or enough to fill a backyard swimming pool. These tips will help you save water -- and money -- by correcting household leaks:

Regularly check your toilet, faucets, and pipes for leaks. Pennsylvania American Water offers leak detection kits, which are available under the Customer Service tab of our Web site at www.pennsylvaniaamwater.com. If you find a leak, have it fixed as soon as possible.

Reduce faucet leaks by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and replace them, or, if necessary, replace the faucet with a WaterSense-labeled model.

Leaky toilets are most often the result of a worn toilet flapper. Replacing the rubber flapper is a quick fix that could save a home up to 200 gallons of water per day.

For a leaky garden hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.

Tighten connections on your showerheads if drips appear when the shower is off.

Check your garden and lawn irrigation system for leaks, or hire a certified WaterSense expert to check it for you.

Consider installing water and energy-efficient appliances. The EPA reports that certified Energy Star washing machines use up to 35 percent less water per load. Water-saving shower heads, toilets and faucet aerators also help cut your water usage.

If you have to replace plumbing fixtures, look for the WaterSense label. WaterSense-labeled toilets and faucets are independently tested and certified to save water and perform as well as or better than standard models. Visit www.epa.gov/watersense for more information.

-Terry M. Maenza
Director, Communications & External Affairs
Pennsylvania American Water

Greening Your Home

The energy section of The State of the Environment Report has a very useful list of green initiatives for homeowners. These include installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, using low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) products, plugging the leaks, setting back thermostats and installing low-flow showerheads.

I want to add one more --- dividing your heating and cooling system into zones. Especially if you live in a large home adding zones for heating and cooling will save energy and money. The concept is simple: You create separate zones for heating and cooling so that you are only making the spaces you occupy comfortable. Adding zones initially or after the fact is more costly than caulking or changing light bulbs but it can pay substantial dividends.

We added zones to our home and the building where my business is located. I want to focus on is what we did in our residence because it was a relatively economical solution. We added thermostatic radiator valves in the rooms that we did not need to use on a daily basis. I first came across these when I lived in New York where they were in common use in large buildings with rooms that had wide ranging heating requirements.

Thermostatic valves replace the knob valves on radiators and can be adjusted from about 46 degrees to 74 degrees. We had a plumber do the work. The cost was about $300 per radiator, including the valves. We just had the valves installed prior to this heating season so we only have a few months’ gas bills to compare our consumption to previous winters. So far, it looks like we cut our gas consumption by about 20%. We estimate that the energy saving investment will pay for itself in three to five years. In the meantime, we’re consuming less natural gas and reducing our carbon footprint if ever so slightly.

One caution is that these valves only function as cut back heating elements. Your central thermostat will continue to control your central boiler. The valves cannot “call” for more heat than your central thermostat.

Two manufacturers of thermostatic radiator valves are Dan Foss and Honeywell.

For more information on thermostatic radiator valves:
Thermostatic radiator valves explained
Dan Foss valves
Honeywell valves

Bill Vitale

Top "Cleanest" Fruits and Vegetables

Like the dirty dozen of produce, there is a list of the top cleanest produce you can purchase that is not organic. These are least likely to contain pesticide residue.

Here's the Cleanest:
Bananas
Kiwi
Mangos
Papaya
Pineapples
Watermelons
Asparagus
Avocado
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn
Onions
Peas

When organic is not available, here's some tips to protect you from "non-organic" produce:
Buy fresh vegetables and fruits in season.

Trim tops and the very outer portions of celery, lettuce, cabbages, and other leafy vegetables that may contain the bulk of pesticide residues.
Peel and cook when appropriate, even though some nutrients and fiber are lost in the process.

Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. This would limit exposure to any one type of pesticide residue.

Wait until just before preparation to wash or immerse your produce in clean water. When appropriate, scrub with a brush.

Special soaps or washes are not needed and could be harmful to you, depending on their ingredients. Read the label!

Top Foods you should Buy Organic

When you go to the grocery store, there are many foods that you can buy organic. The cost can be more than double the price of conventional foods. Is it worth spending more when it comes to buying organic? According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), consumers can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80% by avoiding the most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating only the cleanest.

Here's the Dirty Dozen:
Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Leafy Greens
Grapes
Carrots
Pears

Other organic foods worth considering:
Meat
Milk
Coffee


When a stop to the grocery store "to pick up a few things" cost over $50, coupons help to try organic and save money on paying extra for healthier items.

Here are links to organic dairy products that offer coupons on their website. Just sign up and you gain access to download their coupons.
www.stonyfield.com
www.horizondairy.com

Source Water Protection: Implementation is the Key

One of the water indicators used in the State of the Environment Report was the number of water systems in Berks County with Source Water Protection Plans. These voluntary plans outline the area that contributes to a water supply, identifies potential sources of contamination within those protection areas, and develops management strategies for protecting a water system’s source water supply. It is important to note that the development of these plans is not the end of a process, it is only a beginning. If a plan just sits on a shelf and is not used, the water supply is not receiving the increased protection it needs. Implementation of the plan is where real protection occurs.

Luckily, the water systems in Berks County that have developed a source water protection plan have all taken that next step to implementation. The Reading Area Water Authority (RAWA) completed their source water protection plan for Lake Ontelaunee and Maiden Creek Watershed in 2007, and since then have been busy implementing various projects, including assisting in agricultural restoration projects, installing water supply area awareness signs throughout the Maiden Creek Watershed, supporting local educational efforts, and developing a water quality monitoring network.

One project RAWA started even before the completion of their source water protection plan is the reforestation of land around Lake Ontelaunee. For the last several years, RAWA has planted approximately 1,000 trees each year on their property around the lake. Forested areas are a key protecting a water supply such as Lake Ontelaunee. A recent survey by the Trust for Public Land found that the more forest cover there is in a watershed the lower the treatment costs for water suppliers drawing from surface water sources. Forested areas along waterbodies serve as buffers that filter sediment and nutrients out of stormwater.

However, you do not have to own several thousand acres directly adjacent to a water supply source to play a role in source water protection. Through stormwater, contaminants can be carried several miles to a water supply source. By planting and maintaining native trees and other vegetation on your property, you can play a role in protecting our county’s water quality. Planting or maintaining native plants serves a dual purpose of protecting water quality and providing wildlife habitat. If you are interested in learning more about protecting waterbodies on your property, the Conservancy can provide you with information and guidance.

Matt Bixler
Spotts, Stevens, and McCoy

Have a "Winter Cleaning"

A great way to spend some of your time when its cold and snowy outside is to have a "Winter Cleaning". Leave Spring to getting outside more instead of "Spring Cleaning" your house.

Here's a strategy that is very effective:
Start four piles for you to separate your items that you don't want anymore: RECYCLING, CLOTHING, PAPERWORK and CHARITY.

RECYCLING
If an item can be recycled, there is no reason why we can't make the effort to recycle it and if we can recycle it by re-using the item - even better!

SAVE THE DATES:
The Berks County Solid Waste Authority has set the dates for our 2010 collections held at the Exeter Township Municipal Building, 4975 DeMoss Rd., Reading from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, on each of the following dates:
Household Hazardous Waste: April 10, 2010 - Free
Electronic Waste: April 16th & 17th, 2010 - Each item is $1.00 for recycling, TVs are $18.00 and batteries are $.75 per pound
Pharmaceutical Waste: April 24, 2010 - Free
Tire Collection: May 1, 2010 - Tires are $2.00 each without rims and $3.00 each with rims
Paper Shredding: May 1, 2010 - Free

CLOTHING
How much of the clothing in your wardrobe do you actually wear? Why do we always keep clothes 'just in case'? The chances are that if you haven't worn it in the last year, it's not going to get worn. The clothing that seems to have shrunk (as many clothes do) is not going to expand. Save this pile for charity or for relatives/friends that might be interested in it.

PAPERWORK
Go through all your paperwork, junk mail, documents and letters - put anything that isn't worth keeping in a paper bin to be recyled. Anything with personal details should be shredded. You can save it for the Berks County shredding event in May. (See details above.)

CHARITY
Adopt a "If I haven't used it in the last year, I probably won't" approach and think about donating used household items to a worthy cause. This might also make you re-think some of your upcoming purchases and save you money in the long run.

Green Your Laundry

Laundry is a fact of life, a never-ending cycle of dirty and clean clothes. When it's wash day, there are things to consider that saves money and energy, along with helping the environment. Here are some tips to consider:

Your Mom would probably cringe when she reads this BUT "It's OKAY to use cold water when washing dirty whites."
Using hot water for both washing and rinsing uses three and a half times more energy than washing in warm water and rinsing in cold. To put it in a better perspective - Washing every load on the hot/warm cycle (in a top loading machine and an electric water heater) for a year is equivalent to burning about 182 gallons of gasoline in a car; in an average (19.8 miles per gallon) car, that'll get you around 3595 miles. So, wash in hot/warm, or drive almost 3600 miles -- same difference.

Use an efficient Energy Star washing machine.
The newest, most-efficient washers use four times less energy than the least-efficient machines, and save up to $70 a year in energy costs.

Save laundry until you have a big load. Save time too!
It takes less energy to do one big load than two smaller ones. But don't overload the machine or nothing will get clean.

Use Environmentally Friendly Laundry Detergents.
Seventh Generation is a brand that is Eco-Friendly and widely available in Berks County. You can learn more about their products and download coupons on their website at http://www.seventhgeneration.com/coupons