Pastor Mark Hopper

By Pastor Mark Hopper

We continue to hear about the drought here in California. We tend to forget that we actually live in a desert. Even though we have an ocean only miles away, we have cactus growing on the hillsides right here in Diamond Bar!

I sense that many people are making sincere attempts to conserve water. Some have actually removed their lawns and installed artificial grass. Others have re-landscaped their yards with drought resistant plants and shrubs.

We have reduced the amount of water we are using at our home and the number of days we water our lawn. I’m encouraged to see that our water bill reflects that we are using less water each month.

Recently I noticed that there was moisture in the flower bed where we left our water hose. I soon realized that the hose valve was not shutting off completely. A tiny steam of water was getting through. We were wasting water.

My first step was to try to turn the valve off more tightly. But that did not stop the water completely. I realized that the valve was not working properly. Calcium and mineral deposits had built up on the inside of the vale and it was not shutting off completely. How expensive was this going to be?

I went to Home Depot and bought a new valve but when I got home I discovered that it was not the same size. It looked like this project was getting more difficult and probably more expensive.

Then I want to my neighborhood Ace Hardware store hoping to could replace the parts inside the shut off valve and not have to remove the whole thing. They did not have the replacement parts that I was looking for, but I had an idea. Did they sell a simple rubber washer that is inside the shut-off valve?

Not only did they have the small washer, but the price was right, too. It cost a total of eighty cents – less than a dollar!

I went home and scrapped off the sediment and calcium that had built up inside the valve and installed the small rubber washer. It worked! No drips, no water seeping out of the garden hose!

I was so encouraged that I was not only saving water but I also save a lot of money.

Who would have thought that a small rubber washer could make such a difference? No more drips. No more wasted water!

Let me encourage you to look for some simple steps that you can take to save water and save money.

You will be glad you did and your neighbors will too!

Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Ave. Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visit http://www.efreedb.org.