Water Conservation Tips

When thinking about conserving water, small adjustments can have a big impact. Here are a few tips:

Use faucet aerators and spray taps to reduce water output. These items put millions of air bubbles into the water, reducing the amount of water lost while suds form.
Install flow control devices on shower heads so water can be turned off when not needed. A normal flow from a shower is between 5 and 15 gallons per minute. The use of a flow control device can cut water use by 50 to 70%. If using an older shower head, replace it.
Flush toilets less often and do not use the toilet for disposing of trash or wastepaper.
Test the toilet for leaks by placing a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If colored water appears in the bowl without flushing, the toilet leaks and needs to be fixed. A leaky toilet wastes 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of water per month.
Do not let faucets run for washing or rinsing. Fill a bowl with water for this purpose or rinse at once by using hose spray.
Brush teeth before shaving to use cold water in the supply line while waiting for hot water for shaving.
Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator to avoid letting water run to get a cold drink.
Do not prewash dishes for automatic dishwashers unless necessary. Scrape food off rather than rinse.
Check regularly for leaks. Common locations leaks can be found are toilets, faucets, under sinks and hoses. Use hose washers at spigots and hose connections to eliminate leaks.
Don’t let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Rinse them in a stoppered sink or a pan of clean water.
Water during the early or later parts of the day. Early watering, and late watering, also reduce water loss to evaporation.
Collect water from roof gutter with a rain barrel for lawn and plant watering.
Adjust your laundry settings. Nearly 22% of indoor home water use comes from doing laundry. Make sure to adjust the settings on your machine to the proper load size.