Responsible Bathroom Tour visits W. Washington

Local water conservation is the most direct way to reduce water bills and cut energy costs while also managing a precious resource. To help raise awareness about water conservation and to offer practical solutions through water-saving bathroom fixtures, a national mobile marketing campaign will arrive in Washington State on July 9.

The Responsible Bathroom Water Conservation Tour, sponsored by American Standard®, will show how an average four-person household can save 48,326 gallons of water a year using water-saving bathroom fixtures.

The tour has the goal of saving 2 billion gallons of water this year by replacing old or leaking bathroom fixtures with innovative, water-efficient plumbing products. The tour will visit over 300 plumbing wholesale locations by November in a 44-foot-long, walk-through mobile showroom. The public is welcome free of charge to walk through the mobile showroom.

Visitors to The Responsible Bathroom Water Conservation Tour will gain:

• Financial calculations of how much water and money consumers can save with efficient bathroom products. Retrofitting faucets, showerheads and toilets with low-flow options is one of the fastest and easiest ways for consumers and businesses to save significant amounts of water.
• Water-saving tips that benefit the environment. The Responsible Bathroom Tour is the latest in a series of initiatives by American Standard Brands to raise awareness of practical water conservation solutions through product innovations and increased consumer choice.
• Hands-on demonstrations of the newest water-saving showerheads, faucets, and toilets. Tour ambassadors aboard the mobile showroom will explain the latest products. User demonstrations will include a FloWise® showerhead, for instance, which uses up to 40% less water during a shower while its exclusive turbine technology delivers a robust spray.

The impact of water conservation measures adds up. In a 2009 statistic, Georgia officials estimate that conservation measures such as replacing existing fixtures with low-flow models are 27 times cheaper than building new reservoirs. Imagine the impact if every consumer:

• Replaced an old faucet with a water-efficient model to save 8,000 gallons of water per year.
• Turned off the water while brushing teeth to conserve 24,000 gallons of water per year.
• Upgraded to a water saving showerhead to save 22,000 gallons of water per year.

Since bathrooms account for 75% of indoor water use, it is crucial to install water-saving plumbing fixtures in homes, schools and businesses. The American Standard objective is to reduce overall water consumption by more than 18 billion gallons through the installation of water-efficient American Standard toilets, showers and faucets. The Responsible Bathroom Tour aims to add 2 billion to the gallons saved in 2010.

By crisscrossing the United States with this novel tour, American Standard® is bringing water conservation information to the local level. To view the entire national tour itinerary, go to www.responsiblebathroomtour.com. 

For tour locations in Western Washington click here.

PWC & CCP Collaborate on Strategic Planning

In February the Community Consulting Partnership (CCP) chose PWC as one of three organizations they would work with during their spring program. Their work was completed at a retreat held May 23rd. PWC staff, board and TAG members participated. At the retreat work was done on increasing communication and building connections between members. An action item was developed that will help lead us into the development of our next strategic plan. That action item reads, "The PWC Strategic Planning Committee will develop a timeline and process for the organization to decide on a structure for PWC. The Committee will present their recommendations to the board at the July board meeting on July 21st." Discussion revolved around the idea of changing the caucus structure - is it a help or a hindrance? What would a perfect PWC look like? There was also talk of expanding PWC's scope toward becoming a state-wide organization. PWC members will hear more and have chances to participate in this discussion as the process is fleshed out.

Waterwise Gardens in our Region

Here are links to information on waterwise gardens in the Puget Sound Region. Visiting them will prove that waterwise gardens can be as beautiful as they are water efficient.

Bellevue Botanical Garden - Waterwise Garden

Bradner Gardens in Seattle

City of Redmond Conservation Demonstration Garden

Covington Waterwise Demonstration Garden

Delbert McBride Ethnobotanical Garden in Olympia

Erna Gunther Garden at UW

Evergeen Arboretum in Everett

Evergreen State College teaching gardens in Olympia

Kul Kah Han Demonstration Gardens near Port TownsendPickering Garden in Issaquah

Seattle Tilth in Seattle

Skagit Display Garden in Mount Vernon

Tacoma EnviroHouse and Garden

Woodinville Waterwise Demonstration Garden

If you are interested in information on rain barrels or in having someone from the Partnership for Water Conservation talk to your group please contact the office.