Forum to show how to be water-smart

How much water do you use in a day?

It might be hard to believe, but the average American uses about 100 gallons daily.

Such facts, and what they mean to McHenry residents, will be the focus of What's Your Water IQ?, a free community forum Saturday at McHenry County College.

The forum will offer tips on saving water at home -- the biggest water offenders, for example, are toilets and bathtubs -- and suggestions on what communities can do to make McHenry's water supply last.

"McHenry is solely dependent on groundwater for drinking," Water Resource Manager Cassandra McKinney said, "but resources are limited and aren't distributed evenly through the county."

Combined with rapid population growth -- Algonquin, for example, expects 77 percent growth from 2000 to 2030 -- that's a recipe for shortages.

"By 2030, shortages are anticipated in southeastern McHenry," McKinney said, referring to the high-growth area that includes Algonquin, Cary, Crystal Lake and Huntley.

The forum will include a panel of local officials and community leaders as well as demonstrations of ways to save water at home.

Speakers also will discuss watershed protection, teaching about water resources in schools and an ongoing water recycling program in Richmond.

"The goal is really twofold," said Ricca Slone of the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Midwestern law and advocacy group that helped organize the event.

"One is to provide the general public with more information about the water supply situation in McHenry and the second is to give some guidance and direction to the elected officials who are going to be making decisions."

The forum will run 12:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday in the conference center at the college.

Admission is free. Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are welcome. To register, call the Environmental Law and Policy Center at (312) 795-3729.