It's Water-Wise Wednesdays with Frannie the Fish! {Upcycled Clothes Pin Snowflake Ornament}

Tis the season for repurposed or upcycled decorations! Frannie loves upcycling because it takes something that would normally be thrown away and makes it new and usable again. Upcycling is a great way to reduce our waste and conserve water! 

How does upcycling reduce waste and conserve water? 

Upcycling reduces the need to use new, raw materials when making a new product. By using old materials instead of new materials, less energy and water is used. Even better, air pollution and water pollution are reduced!

Upcycled Clothing Pin Snowflake Ornament:

Frannie was looking through her home for fun items to upcycle when she came across some broken clothing pins. With some creativity (and the help of Pinterest), Frannie decided to make a snowflake ornament out of her broken clothing pins!

What You Need:

• 8 clothing pins (or 16 halves of clothing pins)
• white paint
• paint brush
• glue
• string

Instructions:

1. Gather together your 8 clothing pins. You'll need both halves of each clothing pin for a total of 16 pieces. 
   
2. Paint each clothing pin white. 
   
3. Glue the clothing pin halves together as shown in the photo. You should end up with 8 snowflake pieces. Thread a string through the hole in one piece. 
   
4. Glue four snowflake pieces together into a "+" shape as shown in the photo. 
   
5. Glue the final four snowflake pieces into the corners of the already glued pieces, making sure the snowflake piece with the string is located where you would like the "top" of your snowflake to be. 
   
6. Congratulations! You have just made an Upcycled Clothing Pin Snowflake Ornament! Hang it up as a winter decoration or wrap it up to give as a gift.

For More Fun:

Get creative! Add color to your snowflake or a touch of glitter. Write a special message on it or have all your family sign their names on it. Have fun!

Share:

Share pictures of your family and your snowflakes with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or by sending them in to info@groundwater.org. Happy Holidays!

BLOG: Easy Tips for Protecting Your Well, Your Water, and Your Wallet This Winter.

The cooler weather and pumpkin pies can be a welcome change from the summer heat, but it also means one looming fact: winter is coming.

While many of the water well systems in the northern U.S. are required to be built under the frost line, there is a large section of the South and Midwest where pumping systems are constructed above ground or above the frost line. For these systems, it’s important to take steps to keep your well safe and operating through the winter.

1. Get Your Well Inspected

NGWA and Wellowner.org recommend an annual inspection of your water well system. If you haven't had your inspection done, scheduling before the winter weather arrives could save you a lot of time and money! Find a qualified contractor.

2. Protect Your Pump

Many well systems are buried deep underground, which provides protection from the cold. But for well owners with above ground pumps, action should be taken to keep the system insulated and warm. Constructing a small insulated enclosure covering the pump will help keep the system above 32 degrees and reduce the risk of freezing and other damage. This small “well house” can save thousands of dollars in repairs and ensure a well operates throughout a cold winter. Find a qualified contractor.

3. Protect Your Pipes

As water freezes, it expands and can burst your pipes, leading to significant damage to your home and well. Frozen pipes are a common winter issue for homeowners, but can be avoided with a few easy steps. 

• Turn off your exterior water and blow out your pipes. Ideally your house will have a shut-off valve for its exterior water supply. If so, turn off any water that flows to outside irrigation systems and faucets. Once you have turned the water off, then drain the remaining water or use an air compressor to blow out the pipes. If you don't have a shut-off valve, find a local contractor for other options to shutting off exterior water.
• Insulate your pipes. For houses with piping that runs through non-heated spaces like basements, we suggest insulating pipes. Wrapping pipes with rubber casings or fiberglass insulation can keep their temperature above freezing and the water flowing.
• Inspect your pipes. This is a great time to do a general inspection of your water system and piping. Spotting a problem in your system now could save you from a costly problem this winter. Find a certified contractor to schedule an inspection.

4. Prepare for a Power Outage 

While there is little that can be done by the homeowner to prevent power outages due to winter weather, there are steps to take so you have water to drink while waiting for the lights to come back on.

• Always have a portable gas generator and plenty of gas to connect to your pumping system.
• Stock up on bottled water before the winter; this way if there is a prolonged outage, you can still have clean drinking water in the house.
• Contact a local contractor to learn more about backup generators and other options to keep your water flowing during a power outage.

Adapted from wellowner.org.

BLOG: Save Energy, Money, and Water this Winter

by Jennifer Wemhoff, Groundwater Foundation

Water and energy are inextricably connected. A huge amount of water is used to generate electricity.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey

This winter, look for ways to save energy around your home, and you'll be saving water, too. Here are a few ways to get started:

1. Use the sun's energy to warm your home. Open curtains and blinds on south-facing windows during the day to let the sunlight stream in. Once the sun goes down, close those window coverings to reduce the chill from cold windows.

2. Cover drafty windows with clear plastic. Make sure the plastic is sealed tightly to the frame to keep more cold air out. You can also invest in energy-efficient window coverings.

3. Put on a sweater. When you're home and awake, set your thermostat as low as you can and still feel comfortable. When you're gone or asleep, turn your thermostat down 10-15 degrees. This will save energy and up to 10% per year on your energy bills! You may want to invest in a programmable thermostat to make the temperature adjustment automatic.

4. Seal any air leaks throughout your home. Add caulk or weatherstripping to seal up leaks around windows and doors.

Source: Energy.gov

5. Keep your heating system well-maintained. Have your heating systems serviced regularly and replace your furnace filter as recommended.

6. If you have a fireplace, reduce heat loss by keeping the damper closed unless you have a fire burning. You can also check the seal on the fireplace flue damper and make it as tight as possible.

7. Turn down the temperature on your hot water heater to 120 degrees. Save energy and prevent scalding!

Source: Energystar.gov

8. Use LED lights to add holiday cheer to reduce the energy costs of decorating your home.

It's a win-win-win - save energy, save water, save money!

Adapted from Nebraska Department of Energy.

It's Water-Wise Wednesdays with Frannie the Fish! {Hot, Hot, Hot Springs!}

Brrr! It’s definitely cold now. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a free, natural hot tub where we could soak our winter blues away?

All over the world, including here in the United States, such magical, natural “hot tubs” exist and are known as hot springs! They are a favorite vacation destination for Frannie and her friends.

But what is a hot spring?

We know that groundwater naturally discharges in some locations called springs and that, many times, these springs feed creeks, rivers, and even lakes. In some cases, groundwater is warmed through the heat produced from the Earth’s mantle, known as geothermal energy, to temperatures hotter than 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  Generally, a hot spring refers to water discharged at temperatures hotter than the average human body.

Hot springs, like the ones Frannie has been to, are a unique destination for a vacation or getaway. These pools fall within a much more comfortable temperature range of 93 to 176 degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes, fancy hotels and resorts will make you pay an expensive entry fee to soak in their pools.  They may offer more temperature options and provide perks like a storage locker, towel, and shower. Many hot springs resorts in Asia also boast of pools scented with jasmine and eucalyptus or feature natural mud masks!

If don’t want to pay an expensive resort fee, don’t worry because there are other options! Hot springs are often located in geographically large basins that are known for high geothermal activity, so there are usually cheaper resorts or free public pools nearby. In Saratoga, Wyoming, a hot springs resort lies less than a mile away from the “Hobo Hot Springs”, a public pool where all are welcome to soak for a while before dashing into the freezing North Platte River to cool off.

The exploding geysers that are so famous in Yellowstone National Park are an example of beautiful, yet dangerous, hot springs.  The boiling water that shoots high into the air can sometimes run as hot as 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Colorful pools can be lethally acidic or contain dangerous bacteria.  Unless a hot springs pool is specifically designed for people to play in, it’s best to enjoy its beauty from a safe distance.

If you happen to live near or visit one of these amazing geological phenomena, let Frannie know! Take pictures and share with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!
Stay toasty!

It's Water-Wise Wednesdays with Frannie the Fish! {#TBT: Let's Keep Winter Clean!}

It looks like winter is finally here to stay! Have fun, stay warm, and enjoy this post from last year on how to be a good steward of the earth while staying safe on the slippery sidewalks.

With so much snow and ice on the ground, it’s important that we stay safe on our way to work or school.  Many cities use big trucks carry loads of salt and sand to spread on the roads and sidewalks.  This mixture melts ice and prevents it from forming again so that we can travel around without slipping.

Once the ice is melted, though, the water mixes with the salt and the runoff can cause the groundwater and surface water to become contaminated.  Here’s some ways you can help limit contamination from your home this winter.

1. Shovel early and shovel often. Frannie thinks its fun to shovel snow when it's not too thick and heavy.

2. To limit salt pollution, don't use too much salt or ice-melt. You only need about a handful for each square yard of concrete and using more doesn't actually work better.

3. Sand and kitty litter can stop you from slipping, but they don't melt snow.  Too much of it can even clog sewers, so remember to sweep up and throw away any extra that is left after the ice is gone.

4. Try an eco-friendly alternative to ice-melt and sand such as cracked corn, alfalfa meal, or beet juice.  While you should still be careful not to over-use them, these ingredients are shown to be less harmful than traditional ice treatments.

We can have fun, stay safe, AND keep winter clean together!

It's Water-Wise Wednesdays with Frannie the Fish! {Let's Keep Winter Clean!}

Brrrr!!!

With so much snow and ice on the ground, it’s important that we stay safe on our way to work or school.  Many cities use big trucks carry loads of salt and sand to spread on the roads and sidewalks.  This mixture melts ice and prevents it from forming again so that we can travel around without slipping.

Once the ice is melted, though, the water mixes with the salt and the runoff can cause the groundwater and surface water to become contaminated.  Here’s some ways you can help limit contamination from your home this winter.

1. Shovel early and shovel often. Frannie thinks its fun to shovel snow when it's not too thick and heavy.

2. To limit salt pollution, don't use too much salt or ice-melt. You only need about a handful for each square yard of concrete and using more doesn't actually work better.

3. Sand and kitty litter can stop you from slipping, but they don't melt snow.  Too much of it can even clog sewers, so remember to sweep up and throw away any extra that is left after the ice is gone.

4. Try an eco-friendly alternative to ice-melt and sand such as cracked corn, alfalfa meal, or beet juice.  While you should still be careful not to over-use them, these ingredients are shown to be less harmful than traditional ice treatments.

We can have fun, stay safe, AND keep winter clean together!