Water Conservation Tips
Water Conservation Tips
General Tips for Water Conservation
• Know where the main water valve shut off is located for your home. Quickly locating the main water valve could reduce water damage and water waste in the event of a large leak or pipe problem.
• Fix faucet leaks. It’s simple, cheap, and could save you 140 gallons of water a week.
• Teach children to turn off faucets tightly after each use.
• Wash dark clothes in cold water to save energy and water, while maintaining the color of your clothes.
• When washing your clothes, adjust the water level to the size of the laundry load.
• Select commercial car washes that recycle water.
• When kids want to cool off, have them play with water in the area of the lawn that needs water the most.
• Make sure your swimming pool; fountains and ponds are equipped with recirculating pumps.
• Use a hose with a nozzle that can be closed while washing your car. You can save 100 gallons of water each time you wash the car.
Water Conservation Tips for Your Home and Lawn
Around the House
• Using water efficiently occurs when you use no more than the necessary amount of water.
• Detect water leaks and sources of water waste by monitoring your water bills for unusual spikes or increases in water consumption.
• Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth and save 25 gallons of water a month.
• Turn off the tap while shaving and save up to 300 gallons of water a month.
• By reducing your shower time by a minute or two you can save up to 150 gallons of water a month.
• Discover toilet leaks by putting food coloring in your toilet tank. If the color seeps into the toilet bowl, the tank is leaking. By repairing toilet leaks you can save up to 1,000 liters of water a month.
•If your toilet was installed before 1992, reduce water consumption by inserting a displacement device in the tank.
How To Retrofit Your Toilet
• Use faucet aerators on all faucets to reduce water consumption.
Kitchen Tips
• When washing dishes by hand, do not let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with soapy water and the other with rinse water.
• Run the dishwasher only when full. It can help you can save up to 1,000 liters of water per month.
• For cold drinks, keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a pan with water instead of running tap water. Then use the water from the pan used to clean fruits and vegetables to water plants around the house or in your garden.
• Use only one glass a day for drinking water or refill a water bottle to reduce the number of dishes to be washed each day.
• Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while cleaning.
• Do not use water to thaw food, instead thaw food in the refrigerator one or two nights before your planned meal.
Kitchen & Laundry Room Water Conservation Tips
In the Garden or the Yard
• Choose shrubs, gravel, mulch or stones instead of grass in hard to water areas like steep slopes and isolated strips.
• Adjust sprinklers to ensure you are only watering your lawn, not the house, sidewalk or driveway.
• Water your lawn and plants in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler to minimize water evaporation.
• If water runs off of your lawn easily, split your watering time into shorter periods to allow for better absorption.
• Check for leaks in outdoor equipment, including taps, hoses and water pumps often.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean the sidewalk and the garage.
• Adjust the blade height of your lawn mower. Allowing for your grass to be slightly taller maintains high soil moisture.
• Use sprinklers for large areas of grass and water smaller areas by hand to avoid water waste.
• Collect water with rain barrels for watering your garden.
• Instead of following a set watering schedule, check the moisture of your lawn two to three inches below the surface to determine if watering is necessary.
Measure Your Sprinkler’s Output
• Install a rain sensor on automatic watering systems to prevent watering your lawn during rain.
• Check sprinkler systems regularly for leaks and maintain sprinklers to prevent water waste.
• Reduce the amount of grass in your lawn by adding shrubs, decorative stone, mulch, etc. according to the region you live in.
• Put plants with the same watering needs together to avoid over-watering or under-watering.
• Use a rain gauge to see how much rain has fallen on your lawn or garden and adjust your watering schedule to accommodate the rainfall.
• Set an alarm while watering the lawn to remind you when to stop watering.
• Choose plants that require less water and last throughout the year. By selecting plants or replacing plants that require less water you can save up to 550 gallons of water each year.
• Water plants only when necessary. More plants die from excess water than from lack of water.
• Adjust the schedule of automatic watering or sprinkling systems each month to accommodate weather conditions and garden requirements.
• Aerate your lawn at least once a year so water can reach the roots rather than sitting on the surface of your lawn.
Tips for Pools
• Place a cover on pools and spas to avoid water evaporation.
• Consistently check your pool for leaks, especially if you have a pool that fills automatically.
• To check for pool leaks, use a grease pencil to mark the water level in your pool. Check the mark after 24 hours to detect a leak.
Pool Efficiency Tips
