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TechTalk Blog: Consumer Tech News

 Want to stay current on the latest tech issues and trends? Find out about cool stuff you can use, news you should be aware of and resources that should come in handy with WRAL's TechTalk with technology writer and researcher Tara Calishain.

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What's your water footprint?

WRAL has an interactive tool that allows you to discover how much water your household uses (it's an estimate, of course.) But while wandering around online I found a tool that actually claims to measure your "water footprint."

H20Conserve, at http://www.h2oconserve.org/ , walks you through an extensive calculator that asks you expected questions about how many water-saving faucets you have and how long your showers take. But it also asks questions about whether you recycle, what you do with your old clothes, and whether you "let it mellow" (with helpful graphic if you find yourself confused.) Each step of the calculator has an "info" button that tells you why that particular question is relevant to your water usage.

At the end of the calculator you're presented with the amount of water you use per day. It'll going to be an incredibly huge number. That's because the calculator is taking into account all your household's choices in cleaning, eating, and recycling, in addition to the water you directly consume.

In addition to this depressing calculator, the site also offers lots of tips for saving water (in the bathroom, kitchen, around the house, outside, etc.) There's also an article and a link list that covers water conservation and more general conservation issues. You can get an overview of the site at the site map.

Now if you'll pardon me, I have to go not water my lawn.

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Ah so the calculator adds in a bunch of average use. So basically it is a useless tool.

Cool, 824.59 each for my family ... but where on the WRAL site is there a water usage calculator?

Or I can just look at my water bill.

What I meant to say (in my Larry the Cable Guy voice):

"Somethin' ain't right with that thar extensif' calckylater"

I was just joking.

The calculator takes into account water used to produce the things you consume as well, like clothing, and food. Meat takes more water than vegetables to produce. Animals need food and water, and that percentage is included in your calculation.

And no, I didn't go out of town.

My results:

"Your total household water use is 1,092.27 gallons per day.

In comparison, the average American uses 1,189.3 gallons of water per day. You’re already on track to minimize your water use. Read our info pages to learn more about water conservation, and make sure to check out some of our tips for reducing your home water use."

My actual usage for December 2007: 26 gallons per day.

Something ain't right with that "extensive calculator".

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