b'Chapter 3 Water, Water Everywhere Sound Water Use Most of the Earths water is not readily available for human use; 97% forms our oceans and 2% is frozen. We depend on the remaining 1% which is contained in streams, rivers, ponds, and in the groundwater. Saving water is as important askeeping it clean. The Capes water comes from its aquifer. Although the population grows and the need for services increases,the capacity of the aquifer remains fi nite. Yet we expect clean, clear water for drinking, irrigating our crops, and allowing fi sh and wildlife habitats to thrive. Using less water saves more than just the water; it also saves you money.Conserving water helps protect our pondsby reducing the demand on septic systemsand sewage treatment plants. If yoursewage treatment and maintenance costs are based on water consumption, water conservation can save you even more money. And saving hotwater also means saving energy.Every day, each person who is not already conserving water uses about 65 gallons of water at home. How much of this do you actually drink? Most of us can decrease water consumption in our homes by 15% to 20% without much discomfort or expense. All we have to do isWater conservationacquire good water-use habits. is as simple as thinkingbefore you turn onthe faucet.Less than 1% of the Earths water is available for drinking.Here are some tips to get you started.Eliminate any leaks inCheck for leaks. Check Install low-fl ow faucet faucets, toilets, hoses,your water meter or your well aerators. Your water pressure will and pipes. pump while no water is being seem stronger, but youll actually used. If the dial moves, or if the be saving water while reducing pump comes on, you have a fl ow as much as 50%. leak. A hole in your water line 1/32 of an inch in size wastes 750 gallons of water a day. Page 22 bluepages.indd 22 8/26/2009 1:50:13 PM'