Conservation Tips
Conservation
Water Education Foundation
"...there are several ways to conserve water at your home by fixing leaks in faucets and toilets and reducing shower times. Outside water use presents a huge opportunity for savings since it can account for anywhere from 50 percent of a home’s total water use in the cooler areas to 80 percent in the hotter, desert regions."
Calculate Your Water Footprint
How to Save Water Inside and Outside of Your Home
Conservation
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
"Are you ready to chase down leaks? Household leaks can waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide...you can find and fix leaks inside and outside your home to save valuable water and money all year long."
WaterSense Labeled Homes
Leaks Can Run, but They Can't Hide
Simple Steps to Save Water
52 Ways to Conserve Water
- Use the shower, instead of a bath, it takes up to 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub and 20-30 gallons of water for a shower.
- Take short showers.
- When brushing your teeth, turn off the tap!
- Use a watering can, to water the plants instead of a hose.
- When soaping in the shower, close the shower tap!
- Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators.
- Use the washing machine fully loaded, not half full or make sure to select the proper load size.
- Use a dishwasher to do the dishes!
- When doing dishes by hand, do not leave the water running from the tap.
- Shut off the water while you are not rinsing the dishes.
- Do not let the faucet run while you clean vegetables.
- Use a bucket and sponge to clean the car instead of a hose!
- Use the correct water saving button on the toilet!
- If you do not have a water saving toilet, try retrofitting or filling your tank with something that will displace some of that water, such as a brick.
- Toilet leaks can be silent! Be sure to test your toilet for leaks at least once a year. Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, there is a leak. Fix it and start saving gallons.
- If your toilet flapper does not close properly after flushing, replace it.
- Consider buying a dual-flush toilet. It has two flush options: a half flush for liquid waste and a full flush for solid waste.
- Put plastic bottles or float booster in your toilet tank.
- Do not play too much with water in the summer.
- Try to harvest and reuse your rainwater.
- Double check that the faucet is completely off when leaving the bathroom.
- Fix broken toilets and leaky faucets. Grab a wrench and fix that leaky faucet. It is simple, inexpensive, and you can save 140 gallons a week.
- Use the garbage disposal sparingly (5 gallons of water per minute of use). Instead, compost vegetable food waste and save gallons every time.
- When washing your hands, turn the water off while you lather.
- Install water-saving aerators on all your faucets.
- Drop tissues in the trash instead of flushing them and save water every time.
- One drip every second adds up to five gallons per day! Check your faucets and showerheads for leaks.
- Monitor your water bill for unusually high use. Your bill and water meter are tools that can help you discover leaks. Water audit your home to find out your recommended water use, then monitor your utility bills to gauge your monthly consumption.
- Learn how to use your water meter to check for leaks. Read the house water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same as the previous reading, there is a leak.
- Adjust the lawn mower to the height of 1.5 to 2 inches. Taller grass shades roots and holds soil moisture better than short grass.
- Aerate your lawn periodically. Holes every six inches will allow water to reach the roots, rather than run off the surface.
- Avoid overseeding your lawn with winter grass.
- While fertilizers promote plant growth, they also increase water consumption. Apply the minimum amount of fertilizer needed.
- Only water your lawn when you need to (Summer lawns once every three days and your winter lawn once every five days).
- During times of drought, do not water.
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean patios, sidewalks, and driveways.
- Water coolers require a seasonal maintenance check. For more efficient cooling, check your evaporative cooler annually. Direct the water drain to plants in your landscape.
- Look into water recycling options, such as grey water systems.
- Avoid pouring water from your drinking glass or water bottle down the drain, water a plant instead.
- Never pour water down the drain when there may be another use for it. Use it to water your indoor plants or garden.
- Re-use your pasta cooking liquid.
- Add organic matter and use efficient watering systems for shrubs, flower beds and lawns.
- Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants.
- Water your plants wisely.
- Water during the early parts of the day; avoid running sprinklers when it is raining, the day after it has rained, when it’s windy or in the middle of the day (water will evaporate).
- Plant drought-resistant lawns, shrubs, and plants.
- Water your lawn only when you need to.
- Use water-friendly equipment.
- Avoid leaky outdoor water hoses.
- Check your irrigation system each spring for damage. An irrigation system with a leak as small as 1/32 inch in diameter can waste 6,300 gallons of water each month.
- Make sure your irrigation system is set properly, and you are not overwatering.
- Use a drip irrigation system with a timer, instead of a hose or sprinkler to water your garden.