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Subject: Week 2 - Water Reduction Challenge

Good evening!

Congratulations on finishing the first week of the Water Reduction Challenge! How did it go? Did you find yourself thinking about how much water you use on a daily basis? As part of the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP), we think about water usage quite a bit. Objective 4.1 in the iCAP is to "reduce potable water consumption to 721,500 kgal/year by the fiscal year 2024, which is a reduction of 45% from the fiscal year 2008 baseline.”

We hope that you have found it insightful to reflect on your water-related habits each day and that you are looking forward to seeing yourself decrease your water use over the next three weeks. Going into week 2, use what you learned in week 1 to increase your point total and incorporate more environmentally-friendly actions. If you have not already done so, please submit your Week 1 Google Form with an uploaded point grid by Tuesday, April 11th. 

This week, we’re going to focus on reducing our water footprints in the bathroom. Did you know that the bathroom is the largest usage of indoor water; approximately 75% of the total amount of water in a household is typically used in the bathroom! Think about it - a half-filled bathtub holds about 50 gallons of water. You can additionally save water and energy by cutting back on hot water. Learn more about reducing bathroom water use in this week’s tips attached to this message; for example, focus on keeping shower length to a minimum (less than 5 minutes) and rewearing clothes instead of washing them right away. What other tips do you have for reducing water in the bathroom? 

Continue to keep track of your points this week and submit your Week 2 Google Form and grid (attached) by Tuesday, April 19th. As a reminder, you can join or start tracking your water at any point in the month. For each submission at the end of the week, you’ll be entered into a raffle for sustainability prizes!

As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or would like to share how the challenge is going for you, please email us. Don't tap out...have a great water-saving week!

Jenna Schaefer (iSEE intern) and Meredith Moore (iSEE Sustainability Programs Manager)