Greenscapes Water Challenge

The Greenscapes Water Challenge is now over!

The winning Greenscapes Water Challenge teams in the four participating towns of Hanover, Norwell, Scituate and Marshfield have each been issued a check for $500 to use for a charitable purpose. See which team won and what they used the money for. And read the press release that was sent to the Marshfield Mariner to announce Team Mass Audubon's victory.

Some interesting observations from the Greenscapes Water Challenge

Water consumption varied tremendously. One family used 18 gallons of water per person per day, whereas several people used nearly 400 gallons each day per person! One family used 449 gallons per person per day!

One woman discovered her silent toilet leak was causing her to use 200 gallons each day!

State guidelines from MA DEP state that people should use no more than 65 gallons per person per day to ensure there is enough water for drinking and public safety.

Two culprits accounted for the majority of high water consumption - silent leaks and lawn irrigation!

What is the Greenscapes Water Challenge?

Who participated?

What were some water-saving tips?

Who won and what will they do with the money?

                                                                                                  
About the Greenscapes Water Challenge

What: The NSRWA and participating communities established the water challenge to provide a forum for education about water conservation. In August of 2010 teams of 5 households or more began a competition to see which team can consume the least amount of water between August 1 and September 30. The winning team received $500 for their favorite charity, and the pride of knowing they had saved precious summertime water.

Why: In summertime water use doubles, just when water is least plentiful due to droughts and the demand for lawn watering. Often there is not enough water to support fish in our streams and our reservoirs are diminished.  

The following towns each had their own Water Challenge with a $500 prize. Team members are from the towns listed.

Teams:

Norwell - the South Shore Natural Science Center and the James Library.

Scituate - First Herring Brook Watershed Initiative and Sustainable Scituate

Marshfield - Trinity Church, Mass Audubon North River, Sustainable Marshfield

Hanover - Hanover Parry and Hanover Blake

Teams received water conservation tips throughout the challenge period.  Here are some of the tips:

• To determine if you have a water leak. Take your water meter reading, then don't use water for 3 hours (including flushing the toilet) then take your water meter reading again. If it has changed then you have a leak somewhere!
• Turning water off when shampooing your hair can save 150 gallons a month!
• A bucket of water collected in the shower as the water heats up can be used to flush the toilet or water plants
• Running only full clothes or dishwashers can save 1,000 gallons a month!
• The garbage disposal can be a big water waster. Instead collect vegetable waste and coffee grounds in airtight containers and put them out in the compost bin. (Plastic coffee containers work really well and they store easily under the kitchen sink).
• If your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace your showerhead with a water-efficient model.
• If you water with a hand-held hose, select the setting with big droplets of water. Fine mists evaporate easily.

And the winning team is:

Norwell - The South Shore Natural Science Center         Average daily usage - 34.06 gallons per day

Executive Director Martha Twigg will use their $500 award to help fund a naturalist program for 2nd and 3rd graders in Norwell, Hanover and Pembroke schools at the WillowBrook Farm Preserve.

Scituate - Sustainable Scituate                                  Average daily usage - 34.75

President Lisa Bertola intends to buy dual flush toilet convertors to resell, in order to purchase more convertors, proven to lower water consumption.

Hanover - Team Parry, five Hanover High School students /families    Average daily usage - 31.02

The students will donate their $500 to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, since they know several people dealing with Juvenile Diabetes.

Marshfield - Mass Audubon                                     Average daily usage - 43.88

Exeutive Director Sue MacCollum intends to buy a tree and a rain barrel.