News & Updates

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QUICK LINKS: PROTECT OAHU WATER > Waiwai E-newsletter

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Wednesday, September 7, 2022 | Issue 10

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Are We Using Less Water?

When it comes to water conservation, we’re all in this together. We all must all do our part to reduce water use as a community. The Board of Water Supply (BWS) measures our water use by the amount of water that is being pumped to homes and businesses, especially along the urban core.

The BWS has partnered with KHON2 to provide regular updates on our water conservation efforts called “Water Watch Wednesdays,” which airs during the newscasts. The weekly updates show how much water is being pumped within metro Honolulu and how close we are to the threshold that would require urgent action by both the BWS and the community to prevent more adverse conditions.

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Five Ways to be Better at Water Conservation

Most of us want to do the right thing by conserving water, but we could all use some advice on how we can do this better. Here are five ways to conserve water that you may not have thought of before.

1. Your lawn does not need to be watered every day. You can tell if your lawn needs water by stepping on the grass. If it springs back up when you walk on it, you don’t need to water. If it stays flat, the lawn is ready for watering. Letting your grass grow taller will also help to promote water retention in the soil.
    
2. Keep weeds under control to keep them from taking water meant for your plants or lawn. A good layer of mulch around your plants will conserve soil moisture and help to keep weeds under control.
    
3. Save water when washing vegetables or fruits. Instead of letting the faucet run, rinse them in a bowl of clean water or in the sink with the drain stopped.
    
4. Keep a bottle of drinking water in your refrigerator. Running tap water to cool it off for drinking water is wasteful.
    
5. Swimming pools can lose an inch or more of water each week to evaporation. Temperature, humidity, wind, and the location of the pool all affect how quickly water evaporates. You can save thousands of gallons of pool water, especially during this hot season by getting a cover for your pool.

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WaterWisdom Wednesday

Everyone responds to the Red Hill water contamination crisis and water conservation in different ways. They are featured on WaterWisdom Wednesdays, which air on Hawaii News Now’s Sunrise morning news program.

Christian O’Connor, vice president of The Michaels Organization, recently shared how he is incorporating water conservation measures in his affordable housing development for kupuna in downtown Honolulu.

https://www.hinowdaily.com/2022/08/17/water-wisdom-wednesday-what-developers-are-doing-support-water-conservation-their-projects/

When Ashley Nishihara first learned about the Red Hill fuel leaks in 2019, she was moved to do something about it. She co-founded Protect Oahu’s Aquifer to raise awareness about the need to take action, showing that anyone can make a positive difference.

https://www.hinowdaily.com/2022/08/31/water-wisdom-wednesday-protect-our-aquifer-raises-awareness-protect-oahus-main-aquifer/