30 Ways to Care for Wisconsin's Water

Personal Action

1. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or washing your face. It can save up to 9 gallons of water A DAY!
2. Take shorter showers.
3. When using small amounts of water, use cold instead of hot water. Hot water needs energy to heat it, even though it may not reach the faucet.
4. Only use washing machines and dishwashers when you have full loads.
5. There are a couple of solutions to manage pet waste.
1. Check your local ordinances to see if it is legal to dispose of pet waste in your trash.
2. Flush pet waste down the toilet. Do not flush cat litter, sticks or rocks.
3. Dig a hole or trench that is 5 inches deep and away from vegetable gardens, lakes, streams, ditches or wells and bury it.

Consumer Actions

6. Stop buying bottled water and use tap water instead (with a filter where appropriate).
7. Avoid antibacterial soaps that contain Triclosan, which promotes the development of resistant bacterial strains in our water systems that results in poor water quality.
8. Reduce your need for dry cleaning or find an environmentally friendly wet cleaner.
9. When ready to replace appliances, choose Energy Star® products to save water and energy.
10. Buy locally grown, organic produce. Organic farmers support pesticide-free, low impact agriculture, and that protects our waters.
11. Use biodegradable and non-toxic household products. Go to www.cleanwisconsin.org and click on PUBLICATIONS to find more information.
12. Eliminate or minimize use of bleach or other chlorine-containing products.

Yard and Home Care

13. Don’t put anything down storm sewers – they connect to our lakes!
    Keep leaves and lawn clippings away from curbs and gutters so they do not wash down storm sewers and into our lakes, rivers and streams.
14. Minimize the use of salt, to de-ice driveways because it pollutes the lakes, streams and underground water. A sand/salt solution is better. Afterwards, sweep up the sand and keep it out of the storm sewer system.
15. Direct home down spouts toward the lawn or a rain barrel, not the pavement.
16. Consider the best type of grass for your lawn. Some types of grass require less mowing and less water, saving you time, energy and water.
17. Keep you mower blade set at 3” or higher to discourage weed growth and pesticide use.
18. Compost leaves and lawn clippings to condition your soil and thatch and aerate to ensure root development – watering will become more efficient.
19. Have your soil tested before applying potentially unnecessary fertilizers and pesticides.
20. Use organic lawn and garden products from companies like Gardens Alive! At 812.537.8650 or www.gardenalive.com.
21. Call Clean Wisconsin for a copy of Great Lakes/Great Lawns: A healthy guide to growing lawns without pesticides.
22. Install low-flow shower heads and save up to 15% of your home’s water use and water heater’s energy consumption.
23. Save money and water by insulating your hot water pipes.

Car and Boat Car

24. Take your car to a car wash, where the dirty water goes to a treatment plant and pollutants are removed. Washing it on your driveway sends the suds and grime from your car and pavement into the storm drains headed directly for our lakes and streams.
25. Regularly check for fluid leaks and quickly repair them. Leaks onto the pavement go directly to storm drains and into our lakes, rivers and streams.
26. Properly dispose of automotive and boat fluids.
27. Scrub your boats and trailers and empty live wells to limit the transfer of pests.

Civic Action

28. Take a stand for water and vote for a candidate with a track record of protecting Wisconsin’s water and our way of life. Write your legislators and find out what they are doing to help keep Wisconsin’s water clean and plentiful. Find your legislator at www.legis.state.wi.us or call 1.800.362.9472.
29. Write a letter to the editor sharing your concern over our water quality and supply, or get involved in local planning and promote development that protects our waterways.
30. Call us about helping to coordinate a candidate forum in your area, where we can bring water issues to the surface. Dial 1-866-QA-WATER, or 608-251-7020.