Simple and Easy Ways to Conserve Water at Home

You have probably heard about people “going green.”  More and more people across the country are doing everything that they can in order to help our environment.  Consumers are purchasing hybrid cars, they’re riding their bikes to work, and they’re working to conserve water in their homes.

Conserve by Upgrading Your Bathroom

It’s actually very easy to save water just by making a few small changes to your appliances.  The first thing that you need to do is check your home for leaky faucets and toilets.  If you do have leaks, you should have them repaired immediately, or you can even fix them yourself.

Many who are working to “go green” are replacing those older toilets with newer models.  According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), toilets that were created in 1992 or earlier use at least three gallons per flush and are less efficient than newer toilets.  Newer toilets, however, are designed to be more efficient. If you’re searching for a more efficient toilet, head to your local home improvement store and look for the WaterSense label. These toilets use less than 1.28 gallons per flush.

Another easy way to conserve is by ensuring that all of your faucets have aerators.  For example, check your shower head.  According to the Use It Wisely website, if your shower fills up a one gallon bucket in less than twenty seconds, you will need to replace the shower head with a low-flow version.

You can also install an instant water heater near your kitchen sink.  This will ensure that water is not wasted while you wait for it to heat up.

In the Garden

Do you use your garden hose to make sure that your lawn is green year round?  By installing a drip irrigation system, water will be delivered directly to the grass and less will be wasted from wind and evaporation.  If you have to use the hose to saturate your grass, do so in the morning or in the evening.  Less will be lost to evaporation if you avoid using your hose during the warmest part of the day.

When it’s time to wash your car, rinse it next to your lawn.  The water that comes from your hose will irrigate your lawn, instead of rolling down your driveway into the sewer.

How You Can Save Everyday

There are some other easy things you can do conserve.  Rather than letting the faucet run while you brush your teeth or shave, turn it off when you’re not wetting your toothbrush.  According to the EPA, this practice can save up to eight gallons per day.

Instead of baths, take showers.  The EPA states that a five minute shower uses an average of ten to twenty-five gallons, while it takes seventy gallons to fill a bathtub.

If you have a few small articles of clothing that you need to wash, wait until you can wash a larger load to do your laundry.  This practice also applies to dishes.

Speaking of dishes, avoid running the faucet the whole time you’re doing dishes.  Instead, put the plug in and use the saved water to rinse your dishes in.