CELEBRATING EARTH DAY AND USING LESS WATER

Earth Day is here (April 22) and our team at CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes is happy to promote awareness and appreciation of the Earth's environment. With our offices located at the base of the San Gabriel Valley Foothills, we have a special respect for nature's beauty which hugs our neighborhoods.

So in the spirit of this Earth Day and our pressing need to conserve water, we provide you the following tips from www.EarthDay.gov

• Look for the WaterSense label to identify water-efficient products and programs. The WaterSense label indicates that these products and programs meet water-efficiency and performance criteria. WaterSense labeled products will perform well, help save money, and encourage innovation in manufacturing. (http://www.epa.gov/watersense/index.htm)
• Don't let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.
• Take short showers instead of tub baths.
• Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
• Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
  Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.
• Buy high-efficient plumbing fixtures & appliances.
• Repair all leaks (a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons a day).
• Water the lawn or garden during the coolest part of the day (early morning is best).
• Water plants differently according to what they need. Check with your local extension service or nurseries for advice.
• Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only – not the street or sidewalk.
• Use soaker hoses or trickle irrigation systems for trees and shrubs.
• Keep your yard healthy - dethatch, use mulch, etc.
• Sweep outside instead of using a hose.
• Learn how to plant trees, build a pond, compost, and more from the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard