Saving water is like any other habit. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes. Become water-wise, it’s fun to find more ways to conserve.
In General
- Watch for leaks.
- Do a routine indoor/outdoor check every three months, or call professionals to do one for you.
- Check all faucets for drips. If a drip fills an 8-ounce glass every quarter hour, it will lose about 180 gallons per month. That’s 2,160 gallons a year, enough for 30+ showers or baths! Drips can usually be fixed by replacing inexpensive washers or valve seats.
- Install flow restrictors or other conservation devices on all faucets. With these in the shower alone, you can cut your water use from about 5 to 10 gallons per minute to as low as 1.4 to 3 gallons per minute.
- Wrap exposed indoor and outdoor pipes to prevent breakage in freezing weather.
In the Kitchen | Utility Room
- One of the most common areas for water loss is the kitchen sink area. Check under cupboards once a week for wet spots or bowed cabinetry.
- Keep drinking water in the refrigerator so you don’t have to run the tap until the water gets cold enough to drink.
- Only run full loads in your dishwasher.
- Scrape food from plates with a utensil, not running water.
- Don’t continuously run water in the sink. Hand wash dishes in a sink full of soapy water; rinse all at once. Soak hard-to clean pans overnight
In the Bathroom
- Check sinks for drips or leaks once a week.
- Check grout and tiles in shower area. Are any loose? Is grout missing, allowing water to flow beneath the tiles?
- Check toilets for leaks. Drop a teaspoon of food coloring into the tank. If the color appears in the bowl after 15 minutes, have the “flapper” valve replaced. If leaks continue, have a professional check your system.
- Decrease the amount of water used per flush. Replace regular or older toilets with new ultra-low flush models or put water displacement devices inside every toilet tank.
Outdoors
- Walk around your property once a week to look for spongy or mushy ground where broken pipes might be hidden.
- Check sprinklers for jammed or malfunctioning heads.
- Use accurate, efficient sprinklers or drip irrigation systems instead of hand watering.
- Water lawns during the coolest times of the day, before 10:00 a.m. or in the evening.
- Deep-soak lawns long enough for water to seep down to the roots, where it is needed. Water deeper and less often.
- Dig basins around individual plants to prevent run-off while watering.
- Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to slow moisture evaporation.
- Landscape with native plants that take little water.
- Pull weeds as they steal water from desirable plants.
- Sweep driveways, sidewalks and steps.
- Use a commercial car wash.
Other Conservation Tips
- Replace old appliances with newer, more efficient, energy-saving models.
- Cut your air conditioner’s workload by positioning shade trees or awnings to reduce heat gain through windows.
- Close fireplace dampers in the summer.
- Close unused rooms.
- Close draperies
- Turn off lights when not in use.
- Drink Tap Water
Leak Detection is the only solution, if there is a leak we will find it saving you money, time and unnecessary stress.
