Here are 10 ways to help you start saving water indoors today:
Replace older toilets with a WaterSense labeled high efficiency toilet. Older toilets can use up to 4 times more water per flush.
Regularly check for & repair water leaks. Even small leaks can waste hundreds to thousands of gallons of water a month. Many water leaks can be fixed by a do-it-yourself plumber, and repair parts are relatively inexpensive to purchase ($5-20).
Take shorter showers. Each minute you shave off your shower time saves up to 2.5 gallons of water.
Install an aerator on your bathroom or kitchen faucet and save about 1 gallon per minute. An aerator reduces the flow from the faucet, and uses air to maintain good water pressure.
Select an Energy Star-approved clothes washer next time you purchase a new washer. They use 15-20 less gallons of water per load, and you will see savings on your energy costs too.
Install a high efficiency showerhead, and you could save an about 1 gallon of water per minute.
Know where your master shutoff valve is located. This could save water and prevent damage to your home.
Wash only full loads. Dishwashers use about the same amount of energy and water regardless of the number of dishes inside, so run full loads whenever possible.
Turn the sink faucet on only to rinse or use a large container filled with rinse water when washing dishes by hand. You will save about 2.5 gallons of water for every minute your faucet does not run.
Scrape instead of pre-rinsing. Save yourself up to 20 gallons of water by scraping food off your dishes instead of pre-rinsing them. Energy Star qualified dishwashers and today’s detergents are designed to do the cleaning so you don’t have to. If your dirty dishes sit overnight, use your dishwasher’s rinse feature. It uses a fraction of the water needed to hand rinse.
