Water Conservation Tips
Kitchen
- Run the dishwasher only with full loads.
- When hand-washing dishes, do not let the water run continuously.
- Avoid using garbage disposal systems.
- Run the laundry machines only with full loads.
- Use the shortest wash and rinse cycles and the lowest water level setting possible. Avoid the permanent press cycle, which uses an additional 10 to 20 gallons of water.
- When buying a new washing machine, choose a suds-saver model.
- In the bathrooms, place 2 half-gallon plastic bottles filled with water in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of flush water used.
- Take shorter showers and use a water-conserving showerhead (less than 2.5 gallons per minute) rather than taking baths, which use 30 to 50 gallons of water.
- When shaving, brushing teeth, or washing your face, do not let the water run continuously.
- Repair leaky toilets and faucets promptly.
- Set water softener to only run when necessary; Replace inefficient water softeners.
- When washing your car, use a bucket, and wash and rinse sections individually. Use a high-pressure, low-volume hose with a nozzle.
- Water the lawn only when absolutely necessary. More water is consumed using sprinkler and irrigation systems than if a hand-held hose is used. Trickle irrigation systems and soaker hoses are 20 percent more efficient than sprinklers.
- Water lawns only during the coolest time of day to avoid evaporation of the water.