1) Turn off water while brushing teeth or while shaving.
2) Keep a container of water in the refrigerator instead of running the faucet to get a
cold drink.
3) Showers use less water than baths. It takes about 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub. A 15-minute shower, with a reduced flow showerhead, only uses 38 gallons. If there are 4 people in your family taking baths, and they all switch to 10-minute showers, you could save around 3,800 gallons of water a month, or $30.00. That is over $350/ a year in savings.
4) Scrape dishes clean to limit pre-rinsing. Soak really dirty pans before washing. Limit
dishwasher use to full loads. Energy Star dishwashers use about 4-gallons per load,
standard dishwashers use about 6-gallons, and hand washing uses at least 20-gallons
of water each time.
5) Use a shut-off nozzle and wash your car in small sections. Wash car on grass to in
order to water the lawn, while washing car. A hose running can use 25-gallons of
water per minute, so make sure your hose has a shut-off valve.
6) Twice yearly, check faucets indoors and out. Replace worn-out fixtures, washers, and
hose connections. Turn faucets off firmly.
7) Plant water-saving plants, trees, and shrubs – particularly native species. Mulch to
retain water. Replace lawn with plants or bark. Sweep outdoor porches and decks
with a broom instead of using a hose to clean them.
8) Water lawns slowly, thoroughly, and infrequently. Water in early A.M. to reduce
evaporation. Install a drip system and automatic timer.
9) Cover your pool or spa to reduce evaporation. Avoid overflows and splashes by
reducing water levels.
10) When it’s time to replace your washing machine, install a high-efficiency washer.
Conventional washers built before 2011, use about 40-gallons of water per load.
High-efficiency washers use as little as 15-gallons per load.
11) Replace toilets installed before 1994 with high-efficiency toilets. Some older toilets
use up to 7-gallons of water per flush. A new, high –efficiency model uses only 1.28
gallons per flush. If a toilet is flushed an average of 8 times per day, a toilet upgrade
can save $125/year. A leaking toilet can waste up to a gallon of water per minute,
which equates to over $300.00 in one month.