What can I do to Conserve Water?

Oftentimes, we don’t realize just how much water we use on a daily basis. There are ways to limit our water usage without sacrificing everyday activities such as washing our clothes and brushing our teeth.

Here are 15 simple ways to save water and save money on your water bill:

• Cut down on your shower time. If you can manage to get your shower routine down to five minutes, you could save up to 15 gallons of water per shower.
• Do you have an automatic sprinkler system? Set a timer to remind you to turn it off when it’s not needed. If it’s raining outside and your sprinkler is on, you’re not only overwatering your lawn but wasting energy too.
• Invest in a dual-flush toilet. With one option for solid waste and another for liquids, you will not use excess water each time you go to the bathroom.
• Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth and when lathering your hands.
• When washing fruits and vegetables, save the water collected and use it to water your plants.
• Plug the sink with water to rinse your razor instead of keeping it running while you shave.
• Instead of using running water to thaw food, defrost it in the refrigerator. This is also safer and cleaner.
• Watch out for leaks. Even a small drip from a worn faucet can waste almost 20 gallons of water per day.
• Don’t treat your toilet like an ashtray or garbage can. Flushing cigarette butts, tissues or even tiny pieces of trash can waste up to seven gallons of water with each flush.
• Install low-flow, water-saving showerheads. These showerheads use less than 2.5 gallons of water per minute.
• Only do full loads. This goes for your dishwasher and clothes washer.
• Do not pre-rinse your dishes before putting them in your dishwasher. This wastes water and time.
• Avoid the garbage disposal. Garburators, as they are often called, need a large volume of water to run smoothly. If you can, start a compost pile for your food waste instead.
• If you wash your dishes by hand, fill up a plastic tub with soap and water or if you have a double-basin fill one with soap and water. By doing this you will not need to leave the water running while you do your dishes.
• Keep a bottle, pitcher or jug of water in the fridge that’s ready to drink instead of turning on the tap each time you’re thirsty.