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AHOY THERE! My Name is Admiral Splash. For 25 years, I have been helping young students and their families learn about water in Southern California and how we can use water wisely. Now, it is more important than ever. Please tell everyone that the Admiral says, “It’s Time to Get Serious About Saving WATER!” Read on to find out how you can use water wisely inside and outside your home. © 2007, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California HOME USE WATER SURVEY Here are 10 easy ways to save 20 gallons or more per person, each and every day! 1. I will always turn off the water while brushing my teeth. 2. I will take a shorter shower, just 3 – 5 minutes. 3. I never flush tissues or other trash down the toilet. I use the wastebasket instead. 4. I will run the dishwasher only when it is full. 5. I will turn off the faucet between rinsing dishes. 6. We will fix any leaking faucets or toilets. 7. I will use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks. 8. I will keep water from running down the street when washing the car, and when irrigating the yard. 9. We will water our landscape early in the morning when it is cooler and there is less wind. 10. We will not over-water. We’re reduc- ing irrigation by 1-3 minutes per cycle, or one cycle per week. 2 gallons per minute ESTIMATED GALLONS SAVED 2.5 gallons per minute 2 gallons per flush 2.5 gallons per load 2.5 gallons per minute 15-20 gallons per faucet; 30-50 gallons per toilet Up to 20 gallons per minute 20 gallons per minute 20-25 gallons per day 15-20 gallons per minute; up to 250 gallons per cycle Admiral Splash says... TAKE THE 20-GALLON CHALLENGE Signature I know that Southern California has to get serious about saving water. I pledge to do my part by saving water at home. I pledge to take the actions I have checked, and to ask my other family members to do the same. I will put this page in a place where it will remind me to save water every day. THE ADMIRAL SPLASH WATER-SAVER PLEDGE Yes, Admiral – I will take the challenge! I am checking the water-saving actions I will take, and ones that I will ask my family to take, too.

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Page 1: 20 Gallons

AHOY THERE! My Name is Admiral Splash.For 25 years, I have been helping young students and their families learn about water in Southern California and how we can use water wisely. Now, it is more important than ever.

Please tell everyone that the Admiral says, “It’s Time to Get Serious About Saving WATER!” Read on to fi nd out how you can use water wisely inside and outside your home.

© 2007, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

HOME USE WATER SURVEY

Here are 10 easy ways to save 20 gallons or more per person, each and every day!

1. I will always turn off the water while brushing my teeth.

2. I will take a shorter shower, just 3 – 5 minutes.

3. I never fl ush tissues or other trash down the toilet. I use the wastebasket instead.

4. I will run the dishwasher only when it is full.

5. I will turn off the faucet between rinsing dishes.

6. We will fi x any leaking faucets or toilets.

7. I will use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks.

8. I will keep water from running down the street when washing the car, and when irrigating the yard.

9. We will water our landscape early in the morning when it is cooler and there is less wind.

10. We will not over-water. We’re reduc-ing irrigation by 1-3 minutes per cycle, or one cycle per week.

2 gallonsper minute

ESTIMATEDGALLONS

SAVED

2.5 gallonsper minute

2 gallonsper fl ush

2.5 gallonsper load

2.5 gallonsper minute

15-20 gallons per faucet; 30-50 gallons per toilet

Up to 20 gallonsper minute

20 gallonsper minute

20-25 gallonsper day

15-20 gallons per minute; up to 250 gallons

per cycle

Admiral Splash says...TAKE THE 20-GALLONCHALLENGE

Signature

• I know that Southern California has to get serious about saving water.

• I pledge to do my part by saving water at home.

• I pledge to take the actions I have checked, and to ask my other family members to do the same.

• I will put this page in a place where it will remind me to save water every day.

THE ADMIRAL SPLASH WATER-SAVERPLEDGE

Yes, Admiral – I will take the challenge! I am checking the water-saving actions I will take, and ones that I will ask my family to take, too.

Page 2: 20 Gallons

IT’S TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT SAVING

WATER THE BATHROOM 1. Our toilet doesn’t leak.

Put a few drops of food color-ing in your toilet tank. If the coloring begins to appear in the bowl without fl ushing, you have a wasteful leak that should be repaired at once.

2. We don’t use our toilet as a wastebasket.Flushing a used facial tissue down the toilet wastes about 2 gallons of water.

3. We have a toilet that uses only 1.6 gallons of water or less.All toilets sold after 1992 are required to use no more than 1.6 gallons per fl ush. New high-effi ciency toilets operate very well with even less water. If you have an older toilet, you may save from 2 to 4 gallons per fl ush by replacing it with a new model. You may also be eligible for an incentive to lower the cost of that new toilet – check www.bewater-wise.com for more information.

4. We take quick showers.Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down, and rinse off—3 to 5 minutes. Also, when waiting for the water to warm up, catch the cold water in a bucket; use it to fl ush the toilet or help water the yard.

5. The adults in our family turn off the water while shaving.Fill the sink with a few inches of water in which to rinse your razor.

6. Our bathroom faucets and pipes do not leak.

7. We have installed water- saving shower heads or fl ow restrictors.Run your shower into a bucket for 30 seconds. If more than 1 ½ gallons (6 quarts) of water are in the bucket, you need a fl ow restrictor. Your hardware or plumbing supply store stocks inexpensive, easy to install shower heads and fl ow restrictors that still give you cleansing, refreshing showers.

8. We take baths with shallow water.A partially fi lled tub uses less water than all but the shortest showers.

9. We turn off the water while brushing our teeth.Before brushing, wet your brush and fi ll a glass of water for rinsing your mouth.

KITCHEN & LAUNDRY 10. We use the automatic

dishwasher only for full loads.It uses less water than wash-ing by hand.

11. We use the automatic washing machine only for full loads of laundry.

12. We don’t let the faucet run to clean vegetables.Rinse vegetables in a sink partially filled with water.

Check the items that show how your family uses water wisely.

13. We keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator.Running tap water to cool it for drinking wastes water.

14. When we wash dishes by hand, we don’t leave the water running for rinsing.If you have two sinks, fi ll one with rinse water. If you have only one sink, put your washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them quickly with a spray device or pan of water.

15. Our kitchen and laundry room faucets and pipes do not leak.

OUTSIDE 16. We water the lawn only

when it needs it.Step on your grass. If it springs back when you lift your foot, it doesn’t need water. Check bewaterwise.com for tips on watering and plants. If you have an irrigation system, upgrade to a Smart Controller that auto-matically adjusts the amount of water for weather conditions.

17. We water during the cool part of the day.Early morning is better than dusk, since it helps prevent the growth of fungus.

18. We deep soak our lawn.When you water your lawn, water it long enough for the water to seep down to the roots where it is needed. A light sprin-kling, which sits on the surface, will evaporate and be wasted.

19. We don’t water the gutter.Position your sprinklers so the water lands on your lawn or garden, not on concrete or other paved areas. Also, avoid watering on windy days.

20. We’ve made our landscape California Friendly® with trees and plants naturally suited to our climate.Many beautiful trees and plants thrive with little water in our semiarid region.

21. We put a layer of mulch around trees and plants.Mulch slows the evaporation of moisture.

22. We use a broom instead of a hose to clean drive-ways and sidewalks.

23. We don’t let the hose run while washing the car.Soap down your car from a pail of soapy water. Use a hose only to rinse it off.

24. The children do not play with the hose and sprinklers.

25. We have no leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets, and couplings.Leaks outside the house can be extremely wasteful. To check for hidden leaks in your pipes, make sure no water is being used around the house and watch the water meter for 15 minutes. If the meter shows some movement during that time, you have a leak.

If you had 20 checks or more (12 if you don’t have a yard), your family is well on its way to being “ship shape” with regard to water. I hope you’ll put many of these water-saving ideas to work in your home. If you do, your family can save thousands of gallons of water a year.

For information on how to save water, contact:Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Post Offi ce Box 54153 Los Angeles, CA 90054-0153

or visit our websites at:

www.bewaterwise.comwww.mwdh2o.com

California’s main water sources have been severely impacted by record dry conditions. And we’re al-ready using our reserves to supply our everyday water.

Our water situation is serious. But you can help.

There are lots of ways to use less water. Use this survey to check how carefully water is used in and outside your household.

On the back page, take the Admiral Splash Water-Saver Pledge. Check the actions you take to make saving water a serious part of your everyday life.

Check www.bewaterwise.com for more easy ways to use less water.

www.bewaterwise.com

bewaterwise.combewaterwise.com

ADMIRAL SPLASH’S HOME WATER USE SURVEY ADMIRAL SPLASH’S HOME WATER USE SURVEY