Water saving
Every drop counts
Once you have identified where and how you use water in your home you need to plan to reduce water use
either by eliminating wasteful practices and habits or by improving the efficiency of your fixtures. The primary spot to focus on is the bathroom, where nearly 65% of all indoor water use occurs.
But all sources throughout the house should be considered.
Below are the 4 Rs to help you save water - Reduce, Reuse, Repair and Replace
Reduce – So much of the water that comes to us for our use is actually wasted in the process of being used.
In the Kitchen
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Keep a bottle or container of water in the refrigerator for cold water so you don't have to run the tap waiting for it to get cold
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Limit hand washing of dishes as this can use much more water than using the dishwasher
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It takes as much water and energy to run a half full dishwasher as full dishwasher
Bathroom
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Check the length of shower – 5 min. should do it
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Keep baths to a minimum – Understanding that a bath can hold 80-90 gallons
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Flush it when necessary, not for used tissues
Laundry
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If you have an older washer that doesn't have water level control make sure you fill it sufficiently before running it
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Capture rinse water if you want to use greywater
Outside
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See Oasis4Life
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When washing your car fill a bucket and use a sponge to reduce the amount of water you use. You can estimate the rate of flow by following these instructions
Reuse – Think of all those times you have thrown extra water down the drain. Instead of throwing the water out use it to water your plants instead. This will keep your plants watered without having to remember to stay on a schedule. A simple way to reuse water is:
- After you take a drink of water and have some left over
- You have finished with a drink and have ice cubes left
- After washing fruits or vegetables
- After steaming vegetables or boil an egg
- While you wait for your shower to warm up
- After you take a bath
- From your dehumidifier
Repair – Leaky pipes and fixtures in your home can waste thousands of gallons of freshwater. Most leaks are easy to identify and repair. Most faucet leaks are caused by worn out washers which can be fixed easily with a trip to the hardware store. Other leaks might need more attention. See Finding
Replace – Replacing an older water-wasting fixture or appliance with one that is energy and water-efficient you will save water, energy and money. After the toilet, the shower and bath consume the most water inside the home.
Because these items are relatively expensive it is important to plan to purchase a replacement BEFORE the original appliance fails completely. Upgrading to a newer model offers considerable energy and water saving.
Install a high-efficiency showerhead. It will reduce hot water use by up to 50 percent. Also look for one that has a shut-off valve which allows you to interrupt the flow while lathering up or shampooing and then continue with the same flow rate and temperature.
- High efficiency faucets can reduce water output from 3.5 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per minute. If new fixtures are out of the question then use aerators to mix water with air, reducing the amount of water used while making the pressure stronger.
- Replacing a 4.7 gallon per flush toilet with an ultra-low-volume (ULV) 1.5 flush model represents a 70% savings in water flushed and will cut indoor water use by about 30%.
- The newest washing machines use less water because they have load sensors that adds only the amount of water
