国家地理:Green: Bathroom 盥洗室节水计划

Hi, I am Paddy Kim. Whether you're getting ready to take on the morning, or just soaking in the shower at the end of a long day, the bathroom can be a retreat from the world, but it's also where over 60 percent of the water used indoors gets consumed. So if you'd like to save water and money, the bathroom is a great place to start. Let's take a look.

And the biggest consumer of water in the bathroom, the toilet. Toilets made before 1993 use up to 8 gallons of water per flush, compared to only 1.6 gallons used by modern fixtures¹. It's a good idea to replace pre-1993 toilets if you can. Now if you are not sure exactly how old your toilet is, well, all you have to do is take the lid off the tank and check out the underside because usually there is a manufacturing date stamped underneath². Even if you can't replace your toilet right away, you can still save water using a one-liter plastic bottle. Just fill the bottle with some pebbles³ or sand, put the cap back on and place it in your tank. So it reduces the water used with each flush. Believe it or not, plumbing⁴ leaks account for about 14 percent of the water used in the average home, so it's a good idea to check your toilet for leaks. Here is how. Put five to ten drops of food coloring into the tank. Now put the lid back on, but don't flush, wait about 15 minutes, and check the toilet bowl. If you see any food coloring, there is a leak that's wasting water.

Well, a steaming hot shower can certainly be relaxing, but it also happens to be the second biggest consumer of water in the bathroom. Showerheads made before 1992 can draw up to five and a half gallons of water per minute. So check to see if your showerhead is old or new, simply turn the shower on full blast, catch all the water in the bucket and wait exactly two minutes. If the bucket is overflowing⁵, then the showerhead isn't a low-flow model. New showerheads start at around 10 dollars, and installing one that draws two and a half gallons or less per minute, can save you 50 percent with every shower. Now faucets⁷ also have flow rates, and if you take a look at the screw-on tip, called the aerator⁸, that will tell you exactly what the flow rate of your faucet⁶ is. And if you suspect that your faucet is a water hog⁹, all you have to do is unscrew the aerator and take it to a hardware store. And match it to a new aerator that's the same size. The most efficient models have flow rates of no higher than one gallon per minute.

Now to find the last water-saving device in your bathroom, just look in the mirror. To save water, all you have to do is learn these few easy tricks. You're on your way. When you brush your teeth, turn the faucet off and use a glass of water to rinse¹⁰. Remember to put trash in the wastebasket instead of flushing it away. Skip the bubble bath and take a shower instead. Taking a bath can use up to seven times more water than a short shower.

With a few simple changes right here in the bathroom, you can keep plenty of water and money from going straight down the drain. Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time.

To find out how green your bathroom is, click on the link below to take the quiz.


food coloring: artificial colors that are added to certain manufactured food items

1 fixtures   

（房屋等的）固定装置( fixture的名词复数 )； 如（浴盆、抽水马桶）； 固定在某位置的人或物； （定期定点举行的）体育活动

参考例句：

• The insurance policy covers the building and any fixtures contained therein. 保险单为这座大楼及其中所有的设施保了险。
• The fixtures had already been sold and the sum divided. 固定设备已经卖了，钱也分了。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

2 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

3 pebbles   

[复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pebbles of the drive crunched under his feet. 汽车道上的小石子在他脚底下喀嚓作响。
• Line the pots with pebbles to ensure good drainage. 在罐子里铺一层鹅卵石，以确保排水良好。

4 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

6 faucet   

n.水龙头

参考例句：

• The faucet has developed a drip.那个水龙头已经开始滴水了。
• She turned off the faucet and dried her hands.她关掉水龙头，把手擦干。

7 faucets   

n.水龙头( faucet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Water faucets shall be chrome-plated type with ball valve. 水龙头外表为铬镀层。 来自互联网
• The plumber came that afternoon and fixed the faucets in some minutes. 当天下午，管子工来了，几分钟内便把水龙头安装好。 来自互联网

8 aerator   

n.通风装置

参考例句：

• An expert system with multiple objectives programming for aerator selection was established. 介绍一个曝气装置选用多目标专家系统。 来自互联网
• Jet aerator especially self-suction jet aerator can meet the need well. 射流曝气，尤其是自吸式射流曝气就可较好地满足这一要求。 来自互联网

9 hog   

n.猪；馋嘴贪吃的人；vt.把…占为己有，独占

参考例句：

• He is greedy like a hog.他像猪一样贪婪。
• Drivers who hog the road leave no room for other cars.那些占着路面的驾驶员一点余地都不留给其他车辆。

10 rinse   

v.用清水漂洗，用清水冲洗

参考例句：

• Give the cup a rinse.冲洗一下杯子。
• Don't just rinse the bottles. Wash them out carefully.别只涮涮瓶子，要仔细地洗洗里面。