Water Conservation
Household Tips
For Water Conservation
Do you know how much water your household uses on a daily basis? Most water use occurs inside the home. In fact, more than ½ of all the water used in the United States is used in homes. We use water inside our home for bathing, flushing toilets, brushing our teeth, washing our hands, cooking, and cleaning. Most of our indoor water use occurs in the bathroom and a large portion of that use is contributed to leaks or wasted water. 30% of household water use is used outdoors for watering the lawn and gardens, washing automobiles, and filling pools. Follow these handy water conservation tips to help reduce water usage in your household. Reducing water use is not only good for the environment, but will save you money on your water bill each month.
Don’t let the water run when washing dishes by hand. Turn the tap off when it’s not necessary to have the water running.
Wait until the dishwasher is full to run it.
While washing your hands, turn the tap off while you lather and scrub.
Soak pots and pans for easier cleaning, instead of scraping them under running water.
Wash fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of washing them under running water.
Select the proper pan size for cooking with water. Larger pans may require more cooking water than necessary.
Cook food in as little water as possible.
Install an instant water heater near your kitchen sink. This type water heater produces hot water instantly so you don’t have to let the water run to warm up.r
Keep a water pitcher in the refrigerator so you always have cold drinking water on hand and won’t have to run the tap until the water runs cool.
Don’t use running water to thaw food from the freezer. Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator.
Take shorter showers. Shortening your shower by a minute or two can save about 150 gallons of water per month.
Check your toilets and faucets for leaks periodically and make any necessary repairs.
Plug the tub for baths before turning on the tap. Adjust the temperature as the tub fills.
Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. Turn it back on when you are ready to rinse.
Plug a sink for rinsing your razor while shaving instead of letting the tap run.
When washing your hair, turn the tap off while you lather. Turn the tap back on when you are ready to rinse.
In the shower, turn the tap off while you bathe. Turn it back on once you are ready to rinse.
Drop tissues in the wastebasket instead of flushing them down the toilet.
Water the lawn after sunset so more of the water soaks into the ground instead of evaporating.
Use a bucket of water to wash your automobiles.