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Durastrand Flooring stays firm and flat

Durastrand Flooring features an enhanced edge-seal and an engineered blend of waxes and resins that block moisture and reduce or eliminate swelling even in harsh conditions. Plus it comer with a 25-year guarantee against delamination and manufacturing defects. Co for the new choice in flooring, and forget the usual hassles and call-backs.

enough \\'ater to make that possible.

A group of mal ors recentlv conducted a surve\ and found that -10% of their cities rron't have an adequate *'ater suppll in l0 rears. We mav not be in a full blo*n crisis vet. but it's on its rrar'-and non is the time to dcr something about it.

There are man\' \\'a\s to become more \\'ater efficient. and ue need to make this a prioritl 81 using less. se help to keep rivers and other aquatic environments at heahhr levels. reduce pressure on suppll and treatment tacilities. and cut energ\ use. For homeo\\'ners. using less \\'ater can also save hundreds of dollars a vear.

Acct)rdins to the World Water Council. North Americans use more \\'ater per capita than evenone except the Japanese: about 90 gallons a dar. compared to the European average of 53 -eallons. Wasteful practices (such as leaving the tap on shen se brush our teeth or shave) comprise l-l% of that amount. That's more than ll -sallons a da1. per person. treated to drinking qualitl standards and often heatedthat's lost do*n the drarn.

Another eas\' \\'a\ to sa\e \\aler is to repair leaks. including running toilets (rrhich can \\'aste up to 200 _eallons a da1 ). taucets and outdoor sprinklers. Check the lerel on vour \\'aler meter and then don't use an\ $ater lbr tso hours. If the readine is difterent afier*ards. 1ou have a leak.

Among the manr \\'avs to save:

. Install high-etficiencl appliances. A rrashing nrachine that's Enersr Star certified uses up to 509'i less \\'ater per load than one that isn't. A high-efficiencl toilet can save up to 15.000 gallons a vear.

. Reduce \\'ater flo\\' s'ith lo*'-flow faucet aerators and shoserheads.

. Run the dishsasher onll u'hen it's full.

. Plant a ,sarden that's suited to the local climate and doesn't need a lot of \\'ater.

. Sse€p instead of hosing dosn l our driveu ar

These are all common sense ideas. *hich is shv *ater etficiencr represents such a tremendous opportunitr to make a ditference. \\'c- mar not be able to prevent rr'ater shortages. but \\'e can slos their progress-and quite possibll reduce their impact.

- Dr. Iloorc. u t'o-.lirunder undjivnrcr presiderrt ttl Creenpeuce. holds a PhD in cL'ttlogr und u BSc in .lirest biologr. St,nd questittns to putrick@ sensibleenyintnnenIulist.ttnn.