Do you know how to conserve water in your household? Here are a few tips:
INDOOR WATER CONSERVATION
Kitchen
· About 8 percent of in-home water use takes place in the kitchen.
· Install a low-flow faucet aerator, which can cut water use in half.
· Place a stopper in the sink when rinsing the dishes.
· Soak pots and pans before washing.
· Fill the basin or a pan with water to wash fruits and vegetables.
· Instead of letting hot water run over frozen foods, let them thaw in the refrigerator, or thaw them in a small amount of boiling water or in the microwave.
· Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator rather than running tap water until it is cool enough to drink.
· Avoid using the garbage disposal. Instead, compost your food wastes. You can use the compost in your garden to improve your soil, as well as reduce your water use and the need for expensive fertilizers.
· When buying a new dishwasher, consider purchasing a water-saving model. Newer models can cut water use by 25 percent and are no more expensive than non-conserving models.
· Wash only full loads in the dishwasher.
Bathroom
· Bathroom use accounts for about 75 percent of the water used inside the home.
· Check regularly for any leaks and fix them. Most common bathroom leaks are found in toilets, faucets, and water hose bibs. Use the Water Wiser Drip Calculator to estimate the amount of water lost from leaks. American Water Works Association, Measure and Estimate Water Wasted Due to Leaks, WaterWiser Drip Calculator:
http://www.awwa.org/awwa/waterwiser/dripcalc.cfm
· Test toilets for leaks. Add a few drops of food coloring to the tank, but don’t flush. If any color gets in the bowl, you have a silent leak that need to be fixed. NOTE: A silent toilet leak of about 1 cup per minute can waste 2,700 gallons of water each month.
· Replace older, larger-use toilets with the newer ultra-low flush models. Standard toilets manufactured prior to the 1980’s usually require five to seven gallons per flush. Toilets sold during the 80’s and early 90’s use 3.5 gallons per flush. Since 1992, new toilets must use 1.6 gallons less per flush.
· Install a displacement device, such as a plastic bottle or toilet tank bag or “bank”, inside the toilet tank. These devices can save up to 20 percent of the water your toilet uses.
· Do NOT use the toilet to dispose of paper, facial tissues, or cigarettes.
· Take a five-minute shower, rather than a bath.
· Install a low-flow showerhead. It can save about half the amount of water you typically use in the shower, while still providing a refreshing, cleansing shower.
· Turn the tap water off while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Laundry
· Wash only a full load of clothes, or
· Use only the lowest water-level setting on the washing machine for partial loads. NOTE: Laundry accounts for about 14 percent of home water use.
· When buying a new clothes washer, consider purchasing a water-saving model. New horizontal axis models can save up to 40 percent of the water used by a conventional model.
Plumbing Fixtures
· Insulate hot water pipes where possible to avoid long delays (and wasted water) while waiting for the water to “run hot”.
· Be sure the water heater thermostat is not set too high. Very hot settings (higher than 125 degrees F) waste energy since the water has to be mixed with cold water before use.
· Look and listen for leaks. A drip can waste as much as 170 gallons of water each day, or 5,000 gallons of water a month.
OUTDOOR WATER CONSERVATION
You can make a difference. Water conservation and efficiency are important to the protection of our drinking water resources and land irrigation for farming. By using water wisely, you can lessen demand on the water supply and as a result save money on your water bill. Here are some tips for saving water outdoors, when watering, mowing and planting:
Watering in the Summer
· Lawn watering and other outdoor uses can account for 50 to 80 percent of home water use. Studies show that as much as half of this outdoor use is wasteful.
· Don’t overwater your landscape. It can cause yellowing leaves or poor plant health. Give plants only the amount of water that they need.
· Use low-angle sprinklers that produce droplets of water. Sprinklers that spray the water high into the air or produce a mist or fine spray lose much of the water through evaporation.
· Don’t water on windy days.
· Set sprinklers to water the lawn, not sidewalks and driveways.
· Use drip irrigation for shrub beds, gardens and trees. Drip irrigation systems apply water directly to the root, where it does the most good, and reduces water loss from evaporation.
· Adjust your watering habits or irrigation system according to the weather and season.
· Check your sprinkler or irrigation systems regularly for any leaks, and fix them.
· Be sure your hose has an automatic shutoff nozzle to ensure water is not washed when the hose is left unattended.
Mowing
· Don’t cut the grass too short. Longer blades of grass will reduce evaporation and root stress because shaded soil does not dry out as quickly.
· Mow regularly with a sharp blade so that only ½ to ¾ of an inch is cut off each time. This practice will prevent the grass from turning yellow.
· Leave grass clippings on the lawn. Grass clippings contain valuable nutrients for the soil and plants. If left on the lawn, the clippings will reduce the need for additional, expensive fertilizers.
Planting
· Use mulches in flower and shrub beds. Mulches cover the shade soil, minimize evaporation, reduce weed growth, and slow erosion. Mulches also add a decorative appearance to the landscape.
· Add two to four inches of organic material, such as peat or compost, to the soil. Greater soil depth will increase the ability of the soil to retain moisture.
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