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Waterwise ways are worth a shower of home savings Suddenly, water is the new precious commodity in your home. Soaring costs and stunning shortages have made Ameri­ cans all across the country water-conscious as never be­ fore. Researchers predict the moves toward strict water conservation will accelerate as we face the fact that clean, usable water is indeed a limited--and increasingly expensive--resource. . What is the outlook? And, what can you do to become a water-wise consumer? Good questions. And, the experts at Eljer Plum- bingware, leading fixture manufacturer, have devel­ oped solid, practical answers to both. SUPPLEMENT TO THE McHENRY PLAINDEALER PAGE 14 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11.1977 homeowner nearly 41 per cent on his water bill. That meant savings of up to 109 gallons each day for the home equipped with water-saving fixtures from Eljer's product line . . . enough water in a year to take an incredible 1,591 av­ erage baths! The authoritative "Ameri­ can Home" magazine, in a special report on the water crisis, said consumers must "demand that builders install water-saving fixtures and appliances." It urged owners of existing homes to "replace outmoded plumbing equip­ ment when it fails" with water-saving models. A new water-saving toilet, such as Eljer's "Emblem," works as effectively and costs no more than a conven­ tional model, yet typically saves you 3,000 gallons of water yearly. Reduced-flow shower First, the "water crisis" is real. Runaway consumption is a problem everywhere. By 1980, unless we learn to con,-^ serve, total withdrawals^ water in the U.S. are ex­ pected to hit 800 billion gal­ lons daily--100 billion gal­ lons more than nature pro­ vides us each day. That means depleting re­ serves and trying to survive with steadily worsening shor­ tages. Severe drought in many areas has already has­ tened this confrontation. Further, sewer and waste treatment capacity in nearly all communities is limited. Plants can only process so much waste as they move toward meeting the 1985 clean water standards man­ dated by the U.S. Environ­ mental Protection Agency. Water saving becomes vital to avert rationing, building moratoriums and tremen­ dous increases in costs to all taxpayers. Now, the good news. You can do a lot to help solve the water crisis--and pay yourself substantial sav­ ings at the same time. Eljer experts showed that in Wheaton, Illinois--where average household daily water use of 269 gallons mir­ rored the typical American home EPA estimate of 225 gallons--installation of water- saving fixtures and fittings throughout a house could theoretically save a Wheaton C O A S T T O C O A S T S T O R E S I # total hardware January 12-13-14-15 THURS. THRU SUN.! Select Group of Remaining Christmas Toys Specially Sale Priced! Norelco Dial-a-Brew Reg. $34.00 W700 ALL IN STOCK Hunting Clothes 30% Snowmobile Helmets Booster Cables Reg. $25.00 Reg. $6.00 Midwest Snowmobile Suits 20% - Humidifiers Reg. $70.00 NOW 00 C O A S T T O C O A S T S T O R E S J m m , t o t a l h a r d w a r e 4400 W. RTE. 120 - McHENRY - 385-6655 heads and faucets such as those in Eljer's product line produce water savings of as much as 50 percent while still giving you ample water flow. These water savings were projected from laboratory tests; personal usage can af­ fect savings data on an indi­ vidual basis. "The use of water-efficient toilets and showers offers the greatest opportunity for sig­ nificant savings," E^jer re­ searchers report. Besides installing attrac­ tive, water-saving new fixtures, you can cut home water consumption dramat­ ically by following these easy :to-do tips from Eljer: Have a qualified technician from your water service check the water meter. A worn, leaky meter wastes water. Fix any leaky pipes. Check connections. Replace worn washers and defective fixtures. A pinhole leak from a faucet wastes 170 gallons a day at normal household pressure; a constant dribble a staggering 3,600 gallons daily. Toilets can leak gallons and gallons without your knowing it. Pour a few cfrops of food coloring into the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without the toilet being flushed, there's a leak. Particularly- petite plants Though you've probably heard of miniature gardens in terrariums and desert- scapes--would you believe that you can have a teeny- weeny garden in such un­ likely places as a cap from a tube of toothpaste, the top from a bottle, and, believe it or not. even in a thimble? It's easy to make your own thimble garden, according to the Ortho book. "House Plants Indoors/Outdoors," as long as you pay particular attention to the Utile details. Then, your micro-mini gar­ den can thrive and even flower. For best results with your Lilliputian garden, use fine- textured or sifted potting soil, and once every two or three weeks apply a few drops of very dilute liquid house plant food (mix it at one-fourth the strength rec­ ommended for standard size pot plants). How do you groom your thimble-sized garden? -- very carefully!--using a pair of manicuring scissors as your pruning sheers. Watering also requires careful attention, according to Ortho's "House Plants Indoors/Outdoors," because the soil in teeny containers dries out quite quickly. Try to test for moisture at least two or three times a day because soil that's pleasantly damp in the morning may be completely dry by the end of the day. Apply water with an eye- dropper or by immersing the entire container, if it's not too heavy for you, in the sink until the soil and roots are well moistened. Though very small in size, thimble gardens can give a gigantic amount of pleasure. Afid, don't forget--any mis­ takes you make will be small ones. \V \ \ ' """/A * Toothbrush bristles were the first commercial product made of nylon, which was patented in 1937.