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Water Heaters. If your water heater is not insulated, an insulated blanket can help you save energy and money. Always follow installation instructions carefully!
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Watch what you use. Watch how much water you use when doing dishes, brushing your teeth, showering, and washing your car. Do you let the water run while you are brushing your teeth or lathering up your car? If so, turn it off until you are ready to rinse. You'll be amazed at what you save in water and money.
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Fix leaks. A faucet that drips can waste up to 3,280 gallons of water per year. Most leaks are easy to repair. Check toilets for leaks by placing a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If after fifteen minutes the dye shows up in the bowl, the toilet has a leak.
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Insulating. Insulate your hot water pipes and your electric water heater. Insulation will reduce the amount of time it takes for hot water to reach the tap, saving water and energy.
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Reuse water when you can. A bucket in the shower can catch water for plants and clean-up jobs. This reuse of water is called "Gray Water" and in some southwest regions using Gray Water is strongly encouraged and public entities offer incentive programs for customer usage.
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Water-Saving Devices. There are numerous water-saving devices on the market. Look for aerators, flow regulators, and displacement devices to make your home conservation-friendly.
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Use cold water first. If you use cold water more than hot water, this can decrease your water and energy bills.
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Doing Dishes. When you wash dishes by hand, use wash and rinse basins rather than running water. Soak pots and pans before washing. Use minimal detergent so you don't have to rinse as much. If you use a dishwasher, only do full loads and avoid extra cycles.
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Preparing Food. Thaw frozen food in your refrigerator, and wash foods in a basin of water, rather than using running water.
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Washing Up. Try a faucet aerator on your sink to reduce water use while maintaining flow. Take shallow baths. Keep showers short and use a low-flow showerhead. A flow restrictor lets you maintain the faucet setting and shut off water at the shower head while soaping or shampooing.
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The Toilet. Flush only when necessary. If your toilet is not a low-flow model, you can install a water-saving displacement device in the tank to reduce the amount of water needed to flush.
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Washing Clothes. Match your washer's water level to your load size. Repair any leaks from faucets, hose connections, or pipes.
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Driveways, Sidewalks and Walkways. Instead of the hose, use a broom or leaf blower to remove dead leaves and other debris.
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Hoses. Repair all leaks and install a water-saving shut-off nozzle that can be adjusted to fit the task at hand.
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Lawns and Gardens. Water during the morning or evening to avoid excess evaporation. Use mulch around shrubs to save moisture. Use drought-tolerant and native plants. And when watering your yard, water in several short sessions rather than one long one. For example, three ten minute session spaced thirty minutes to an hour apart will allow your lawn to better absorb moisture than one straight thirty minute session.
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Making Adjustments. Adjust the timer on your automatic sprinklers according to seasonal water demands and water conditions. Install a rain shut-off device on automatic sprinklers to eliminate unneeded applications. Make sure your sprinkler is placed so it only waters the lawn and not the pavement/sidewalks.
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Installations. Install a drip irrigation system for watering gardens, trees, and shrubs. Drip irrigation provides a slow, steady trickle of water to plants at their roots through a network or hidden pipes and hoses. This system is regulated by a controller that can be adjusted for different levels of watering according to the needs of the plants. Drip irrigation systems reduce over watering, inefficient watering, weed growth, and the time and labor involved in hand watering.
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Xeriscape Gardens. Consider planning a Xeriscape garden, which uses less water, with drip irrigation for closer contact with the roots of the plants yet it will still provide that curbside appeal.
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The Pool. Watch the water level to avoid unnecessary spillage and use a cover to prevent excess evaporation.
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The Car. Don't let the water run while washing your car, use a bucket of soapy water. A shut-off nozzle on your hose will help.
Using the tips listed above, can not only make a huge difference on conserving water, but it can also save you a lot of money in just one year.
DO YOUR PART TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW!!
