Saving Water Starts at Home

Even small changes can make a difference. Turn off the water when you’re not using it. Don’t let the tap run while you’re shaving, brushing your teeth, peeling vegetables, or doing dishes by hand. Use a basin when doing household cleanup in the kitchen and bathroom. Flush the toilet only when needed. Don’t use the toilet to dispose of trash. Take shallow baths, and plug the drain before running the bathwater.

Smart choices can help keep supplies and costs in line. Water conservation can save you money AND it makes an important contribution to the future:

§    Stop leaks – check appliances, faucets and outdoor systems such as sprinklers for leaks. Common leaks waste 10% of the water used in many homes.

§    Fix leaky toilets. A running toilet can waste many gallons per minute. A silent leak can waste even more. Often a faulty flapper is the culprit. To check, put a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. Don’t use the toilet for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes have elapsed, check the toilet bowl to see if colored water has escaped into it from the tank. If the colored water shows up in the bowl, the toilet probably has a flapper leak. Replace or readjust the flapper. 

§    Replace old toilets – toilet flushing is the top water user in the home. If you haven’t replaced your toilets in 10 years or more, you’ll benefit from the new low-flush, high-efficiency models.

§    Buy an efficient clothes washer – washers are the second largest water user in the home. New “Energy Star” certified models may use 50% less water and energy per load. Experts say a switch to water-efficient appliances by a family of four saves more than 23,000 gallons per year. Washers that have no agitators have a moving wash plate that bounces and lifts the load. Such washers use about 40 percent less water.