We will be featuring your pick:
M U S I C M U S I C M U S I C
What would any of us do without it. We are always posting what we have been listening to for our Friday Music Pick. The People Water crew is always on the hunt for new inspiring music. To all of our followers who like discovering new music and love sharing music, tune into our Friday blog post. If you have a music pick that you would like to share, email us at paris@peoplewater.com with your current song, album or artist that you can't stop listening to and a note why you love them. We will post our top five favorite suggestions.
P a r i s 's | P i c k
A l t - J
"Alt-J is one of those exciting unique bands. As you listen to each of their songs they tell a story and you never know what is going to happen next. They are different, fresh and for the first time in YEARS, I have foud an album I can listen to all the way through. Alt-J is also fantastic in concert. They add new elements to their songs when played live and they know how to build the excitment within the venue. A couple of my favorites are Taro, Dissolve Me, Breezeblocks and Fitzpleasure. I have been waiting for a band that speaks to me like this for a long time and I'm so glad that I discovered them."
-Paris
Check out Alt-J on iTunes on ALT-J
Connect with Alt-J:
Facebook: Alt-J Band
Twitter: @alt_j
Soundcloud: alt-j
Here is an article from our friends at WhiteFence. They are always looking for ways to help conserve your wallet and the planet's resources.
Here is an article that hits very close to home for us at People Water. Everyone can do something. If you are looking to move into a new place, you can tell how well water will be conserved by reading this article. You can even apply these tips to your own home.
One of the things you want to know before purchasing a house is how much water you'll use to keep everything up and running. There are several determining factors that affect the number that can fluctuate with the seasons or occupant behavior, but there are a few ways to get a ballpark figure you can work with.
Call the Water Utilities Department
The easiest way to figure out the levels of water usage at a particular home you’re looking at is to call the utilities department directly. In most cases, they'll just need the address to provide you with information regarding the average use for the previous year. If there are multiple utilities departments servicing a particular area, instead of calling each of them until you find the right one, the real estate agent should be able to provide this information.
Homes that are in the process of being built will not have this information, but it's an effective and efficient way of determining average water usage for existing properties before extending an offer.
Use a Water Consumption Calculator
There are water consumption calculators available online that help determine how much water usage a specific household will average in a month. Simply fill in the information to the best of your knowledge to complete the equation. Some of the questions asked may be difficult for you to know, such as how many gallons of water flow from the faucets in your home, since you don’t live there yet, but use your best judgment. This is more of a general estimate for how many people living in an average house will use water weekly, monthly or annually than a direct estimate for a particular property, but it may be one of your only options for newly built homes..
Determine How Old the Toilets and Faucets Are
Are you looking at an older home or a newer one? The older the toilets and faucets, the less efficient they'll be when it comes to water and energy use. Energy-efficient toilets are becoming more popular, and are considered standard equipment for newer homes and remodeling projects. In fact, newer toilets will use up to 75% less water than a twenty-year-old toilet. If you cannot determine the age of the facilities, then take a guess for the higher. That way, the number you come up with will be skewed in favor of the more expensive end of the spectrum and any surprises you have will be the kind that save you money.
Keep Differences In Mind
Not all homes come with their appliances, so keep in mind the differences in the ones you’ll be bringing into the house versus the ones that have been used by the owners. If you have a high-efficiency washing machine and the owners of the home you’re looking at do not, then you will probably use less water than they did when it comes to doing laundry.
Be sure to figure out if there are the same number of residents now as there will be if you move in. The number calculated or told to you may change drastically if there are only two people living in the house now but there will be four once you move in.
If the grass is particularly green at that location, then the owners may take great pains in watering it regularly. Your outdoor water usage might differ if you do not water the lawn daily, saving you money. Look for differences in lifestyle and behavior that could indicate a similar difference in household water usage.
Consider Living in the Country
One way to avoid astronomically high water rates is to consider living out in the country where well water is used, instead of going through the utilities department. You will avoid having to pay a fee for connecting to the main sewer line and you will not have a monthly water bill to pay. However, there are drawbacks to this solution that you should keep in mind. You may need to drill a new well at some point, which can be costly. Also, you will have to have your septic tank pumped regularly to avoid backups. But, the cost of pumping the tank will only come once every other year or so, and it may be decades before you may need to drill a new well, if at all.
Look for Ways to Conserve Water
To lower your water bill, try these methods of conserving water: replace your appliances with more efficient ones, only use your washing machine if you have a full load to clean and hold off on running the dishwasher until it's full. Look for signs of a leaking toilet or dripping faucets, and repair them immediately. Install low-flow shower heads and water your lawn less frequently.
Water usage can always be changed in some form or other. If the home you want to buy turns out to have a high water usage rate, remember that there are things you can do to lower that water bill. Don’t let the previous owners’ habits scare you away, especially if you spot signs of wasteful behavior and inefficiency. Buy the house you want, and make minor changes here and there to keep things reasonable.
A message from one of People Water's fantastic interns:
Water. Drink it, bath in it, cook with it, turn on the faucet and there it is. It’s something so simple, right? Living in the Philippines for two years I learned first hand it isn’t so simple. Thousands of people living in bamboo or block huts all needing clean water that is not piped into their home or community. Thousands of people walking, sometimes more than once a day, hundreds of feet to manually pump clean water from the community well. What happens when the well breaks down? Where does the water come from then? Usually the closest polluted river, that many others are using as well. This isn’t a guilt trip. This isn’t a poor, poor them speech. This is reality, day-to-day life for millions of people. When I learned of what People Water was and what they want to achieve, I just knew I needed to be a part of it. “Buy a Bottle, Fund a Well, Save a Life.” People Water’s motto, never ranged so true.
-Jason Davies
The Intern
Mind: the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think and to feel
You are free to experience the world, don't get trapped in every day monotonies
Find a way to turn the dull part of your day into something new and positive
People Water was so honored to be apart of the Flow Fest for Nyjah Hustons charity Let It Flow. Check out this video to see how it went:
A message from The Berrics
"Last weekend we opened our doors to Nyjah Huston and Let It Flow and hosted the 1st annual Flow Fest. Their mission is to bring clean water to those who don't have access to it. It was a wonderful success and there was enough money raised to build three new well projects, as well as fund a well repair trip to Haiti. This event will be positively impacting thousands of lives with clean, safe water! How cool is that! Thanks to everyone who helped make this happen."
The truth of the matter is that for many of us, drinking clean water is something we don't ever have to think about. Our biggest concern is which bottle to buy at the store. We've never had to walk miles for water which we know is literally making us sick and killing our friends and family members.
We see and hear about the world water crisis all of the time, but the problem is that we don't know what we can do to help. We feel like we are not capable of making a difference in the world. This statement could not be more false! Each of us has the power to make a change in a big way and it really is SIMPLE. This doesn't mean you have to hold a huge fundraiser, run a marathon or give up a birthday. Although we are completely behind all charities and their efforts, we think there is an easier and better way to work together.
Why not just change the brand of water we buy that you know will help someone in need, choose a different pair of shoes that you know is helping, or buy a shirt that you know will help educate a child in Africa, Asia or South America.
The whole idea of a socially minded business model has changed the way we think and changed the way we buy. Those that have caught the vision are making a huge difference. Last year alone with your help, we were able to complete water projects in four different countries around the world in need of clean water. This is because each of us knew we had to make a change and simply picked up a People Water instead of a Smart or Fuiji water. It's that simple.
Now I want to tackle the issue of the socially responsible business model. The one for one model that has become such a houshold name for what we do. We get criticized all of the time for being a for profit business. Here is my take on the situation. We have been very open about the fact that we are a for profit business. We are in the water industry to make money obviously, there is nothing we have ever said that would lead anyone to believe anything different. If you started a company without the goal of making money and becoming successful you wouldn't get very far. We live in a country where we have the opportunity to do or become whatever we want. This is the American dream. As a group of young entrepreneurs we want to be successful, we want to live our dreams, we want to be able to provide for our families, but we also really want to make a difference in the world.
We are obviously up against giants such as Coke and Pepsi that have a huge hold on the industry. We understand that we have a huge battle ahead of us and we also realize that we may never get to the same size as these companies but that isn't important. The important thing is that we can make a difference. We can build a business that allows us to not only provide for ourselves and our families, but in so doing, it allows us to give back to a cause we are completely passionate about.
It's like we always say around the office, "We are not asking you to change anything except the world." It's a bold statement, but it is so true. Together we have the chance to make a huge impact on the world. We can help others live their dreams, go to school, create a sustainable business and provide for their families. It all starts with CLEAN WATER.
I hope this gives everyone a better understanding of who we are, why we do what we do, and why we are so passionate about our company.
Best,
Marketing Director
Braven partners with People Water!
Our Waterproof/Wireless HD Speaker is now available.
Donate towards a Clean Water Well Project and have the best pool parties this summer.
A L L I T E M S P U R C H A S E D T H R O U G H
W I L L F U N D C L E A N W A T E R P R O J E C T S
Past: gone by in time and no longer existing
Don't let life pass you by because you are worrying about what has been.
Challenge Of The Day
Live today like there will be no tomorrow.
We love hearing stories about our fellow do-gooders. Passing along inspirational stories to others not only encourages people to help others but unites us. We are featuring one of YOUR stories each week during the month of May on the People Water Blog. Send us your stories and pictures of helping others, it can be volunteer work, accidentaly helping someone in need or anything you have done to change someone else's life one way or another.
Send all submissions to paris@peoplewater.com with "do-gooders" as the subject.
When you choose People Water, you are literally helping someone in need of clean water. You can see exactly which project your purchase is helping to fund by scanning the QR code on your bottle of People Water. We believe that when you are donating to the cause, you should be able to see exactly where your money is helping. This is giving made easy, this is People Water.
A L L I T E M S P U R C H A S E D T H R O U G H
W I L L F U N D C L E A N W A T E R P R O J E C T S
For every bottle purchased People Water will give an equal amount of clean water to a person in need.
