With many parts of the country suffering from near-drought conditions, it’s time to think about how you as a homeowner can help conserve water (and save money in the bargain). What follows are a list of tips that show how.
- Check your toilets for leaks – place a drop of food coloring in the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl, repair the leak pronto.
- Don’t use the toilet as a trash receptacle.
- Replace your old toilet if it was manufactured before 1992. Newer toilets use only 1.6 gallons per flush.
- Avoid using caustic toilet bowl cleaners because they can erode plastic and rubber parts which contribute to leaks.
- Flush less frequently, and if the toilet handle sticks, replace or adjust it.
- Take showers instead of tub baths, and limit shower time to two minutes or less.
- Install a flow-control device in your showers.
- Turn off water while you shave, lather your hands and brush your teeth.
- Don’t use your clothes washing machine with less than a full load or use a lower water-level setting.
- Wear outfits more than once – Don’t wash clothes more often than necessary.
- Replace your clothes washer. Newer models can use up to 50 percent less water than older ones.
- Pretreat stains to avoid rewashing, and use the shortest wash cycle for lightly soiled loads.
- Check your clothes washer hoses regularly for cracks that could result in leaks.
- Use the least water necessary to cook foods like frozen vegetables and stews. You’ll preserve nutrients as well as save water.
- Don’t run the tap to get cold water. Keep a bottle of water in the refrigerator for drinking.
- Don’t thaw frozen foods with running tap water.
- Run the dishwasher only when it is completely full.
- Water the lawn less frequently. Frequent watering encourages shallow roots.
- Water between midnight and 6 a.m. to reduce evaporation losses
