Think about water. It’s yours for the asking, 24 hours a day,
365 days per year. All you have to do is turn a faucet. But now think
again. The water you use doesn’t come magically from nowhere. It is a
carefully manufactured product - clean, safe and piped directly into your
home- a valuable resource that shouldn’t be wasted. The high quality
water that we need and expect in our homes is a limited resource. Our
demands on this valuable, limited resource are growing daily. And remember
you are paying for every drop whether it’s used or wasted. So by
conserving water you can also be doing your pocketbook a favor. Here are
several things you can do to prevent water waste:
Bathrooms:
Never use your toilet as an ash tray or waste basket.
Check faucets and pipes for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15-20
gallons per day. Fix it and you save almost 6,000 gallons a year.
Use food coloring or dye tablets to check your toilets for leaks. Put
a bit of food coloring in each toilet tank. Without flushing,
watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl.
It's not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these
invisible toilet leaks-that's more than 30,000 gallons a year! Replacing
the toilet flapper is an easy and inexpensive repair job.
Put a small plastic bottle or bag full of sand in your toilet tank to
displace some water. Place it so it doesn't interfere with the flushing
mechanism.
Do not let the water run while shaving or brushing teeth.
Install flow restrictors in your faucets.
Take short showers instead of tub baths. Turn off the water flow while
soaping or shampooing.
Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth or shaving.
Install water-saving showerheads.
If you must use a tub, close the drain before turning on the water and
fill the tub only half full. Bathe small children together.
Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it -
such as watering a plant or garden.
Kitchen and Laundry:
Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet
run until the water is cool.
Wash fruits and vegetables in a basin. Use a vegetable brush.
Do not use water to defrost frozen foods, thaw in the refrigerator
overnight.
Use a dishpan for washing and rinsing dishes. Don't leave the water
running.
Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher.
Add food wastes to your compost pile instead of using the garbage
disposal.
Operate the dishwasher only when completely full.
Use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing
machine.
Outside:
Sweep driveways, sidewalks and steps rather than hosing off.
Wash the car with water from a bucket, or consider using a commercial
car wash that recycles water.
When using a hose, control the flow with an automatic shut-off nozzle.
Avoid purchasing recreational water toys which require a constant
stream of water.
If you have a swimming pool, consider a new water-saving pool filter.
Lower pool water level to reduce amount of water splashed out.
Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation when pool is not being used.
Equipment:
Repair all leaks. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons per day. To
detect leaks in the toilet, add food coloring to the tank water. If the
colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking. Toilet repair
advice is available at
Install ultra-low flow toilets, or place a plastic container filled
with water or gravel in the tank of your conventional toilet. Be sure it
does not interfere with operation of the toilet's flush mechanisms.
Install low-flow aerators and showerheads.
Consider purchasing a high efficiency washing machine which can save
over 50% in water and energy use.
