Kerrie, turn the water off when you brush your teeth! Hurry up in the shower!”

I can hear my father yelling at me right now.

We have all heard these phrases and many more, but what implications on our environment do they really have? Water conservation is a concept that each and every one of us has dealt with throughout our lives, but have the methods you learned been put in to practice consistently? How much water can shutting off the faucet really save?

North Carolina Cooperative Extension is challenging the residents of our state to save 40 gallons of water per day.

This 40-Gallon Challenge even allows North Carolinians to compete against Americans taking the challenge in other states. At the program’s website, www.40-GallonChallange.org, North Carolina residents can pledge to adopt water-saving practices and see how many gallons of water they can expect to save.

The website also shows the most popular practices being pledged, the pledged practices that are saving the most water daily, and counties and states that are pledging the most daily savings.

Paul Pugliese, a University of Georgia Extension agent in Cherokee County, where the program was piloted in 2008, said: “You’ll learn how to save water as you take the pledge. For example, shortening your daily shower by two minutes will save eight gallons per day. Repairing a leaky faucet will save 15 gallons per day. And replacing an old toilet with a new low-flush one will save eight gallons per day.”

By following the tips on the website, anyone can save money on their water bills, too.

To start saving water and take the challenge, go to the website and complete the checklist of water-saving practices.

The checklist includes both indoor and outdoor water-saving tips.

“Less than 1 percent of the Earth’s water is fresh water available for drinking, bathing, cleaning, cooking, manufacturing and growing agricultural crops,” Pugliese said. “From a global perspective, demands for fresh water will double every 20 years as the world population continues to grow. Saving water is the right thing to do for us and for future generations.”

The 40-Gallon Challenge is a great way for families to come together and make a real difference for the environment.

n For easy water-saving methods and practices for you and your family to use, check out the program’s website at www.40-GallonChallenge.org or contact Kerrie Roach, your Robeson County Extension Horticultural Agent, by phone at (910)671-3276 or by e-mail at Kerrie_Roach@ncsu.edu.