Ten Things You Can Do to Save Water

Conserving water in your home or business can be accomplished in a number of ways. While there are some more obvious methods used to save water, such as taking short showers or turning off the water while washing dishes in the sink, there are plenty of other ways to conserve water. Whether you own a home or a local business, you can easily save water and lower your utility bills simply by being aware.

Here are 10 ways to become more aware of your water usage and to conserve water:

• Monitor Water Bills. Keep tabs on how much you typically spend on water bills. You can also contact your utility company and ask to see a yearly average for your home or office.
• Repair Leaks. Even a small leak from a leaky faucet can waste a lot of water over time. Make sure you have a plumber repair any leaks in your home as soon as you notice them.
• Install Low Flow Plumbing Fixtures. There are plenty of low flow plumbing fixtures on the market now. Replacing your old faucets with water-saving models could save up to 60% on water bills.
• Toilet and Plumbing Appliance Upgrade. Toilets use up most of the water in a standard home. When you install a water-saving toilet, you could use 35% to 50% less water with each flush. There are also water-saving dishwashers and washing machines to reduce water usage.
• Adjust Bathing Time. Taking shorter showers and turning off the water while shaving or brushing teeth will add up over time. Decreasing shower time even by a minute could save close to 150 gallons a month.
• Use a Rain Barrel for Watering the Lawn. Rain barrels are easy to find or make on your own, and they are a great way to water your lawn or garden without running the garden hose for hours at a time. Watering early in the morning will also help to prevent immediate evaporation.
• Use Online Water-Saving Calculators. By using an online water savings calculator, such as the one from Water Sense, you can get a general idea about how much water you could save by upgrading your plumbing equipment.
• Only Do Laundry When There’s a Full Load. While you may want to wear that favorite shirt of yours tomorrow, it will save water to wait until there’s enough dirty laundry for a full load.
• Compost Rather Than Using the Garbage Disposal. If you have the capability to compost at your home, try to throw food scraps onto the compost when you can. Even the little water used to run the garbage disposal will add up.
• Cover Your Swimming Pool. If you own an outdoor swimming pool, try to keep it covered when you aren’t using it to prevent evaporation.