Tips for Reducing Water Consumption

In the Kitchen

 • Wash only on a full load: This is true for both washers and dishwashers.
• For large washing jobs, fill your sink.
• Cut back on rinsing.

In the Bathroom

 • Check for toilet leaks: Drop some food coloring into your toilet tank and let it sit about half an hour without flushing. If you see color in the bowl, you have a leak that needs to be repaired.

• Avoid using your toilet as a trash can: Throw tissues, insects, and cigarette butts in the trash instead of the toilet. You’ll save about 13 L with each flush you avoid.
• Turn the faucet off when brushing your teeth. Turning off your faucet while brushing can save up to 38 L a day.
• Install low-flow aerators (1.0 or 1.5 gpm) to replace the standard 2.2 gpm ones.
• Make your toilet low-flow: Place toilet bags or weighted plastic bottles in your toilet tank to save water in your tank.
• Replace your flush handle: If your flush handle sticks and lets water run, it needs repair or replacing. These can usually be found in the hardware store for a few dollars, and are incredibly easy to install.

Outside

• Insulate water pipes: Pre-slit foam pipe insulation is cheap and easy to install, so it’s a convenient way to get hotter water, faster. By getting faster hot water, you’ll cut down on the time you have to run your faucet while waiting for water to heat up.
• Give your lawn a deep soak: Although it may seem counter-intuitive, water your lawn for a long time so that the moisture will go town to the roots and encourage a deep root system.
• Water strategically: Pay attention to the time of day you water. Water early in the morning and late in the evening so that you’ll lose less water to evaporation.
• Collect rainwater: Put a water-catching barrel outside to collect rainwater that you can use for your garden, lawn, or cleaning.
• Lay down mulch: Put down bark, peat moss, or gravel to slow down evaporation. This is an easy way to save literally hundreds of gallons a month.
• Be a lazy waterer: Water only when you absolutely need to. A good rule of thumb is to check it by stepping on your grass-if it springs back when you lift your foot, you can put off watering for a bit more.
• Don’t clean sidewalks and driveways with water-use a broom instead.

Everywhere Else

• Reuse excess water whenever possible: Instead of pouring old water glasses and boiling pots down the drain, reuse the water for pet dishes or plants. You can also use fish tank water on household plants.
• Dispose of hazardous materials properly: Keep oil, prescriptions, and other contaminants out of the water, as these items can effectively eliminate water from our supply. Do some quick research to find out how you can properly dispose of them.
• Fix leaky faucets: If you’ve got even a slow drip, you’re letting money go down the drain. Even more importantly, you’re wasting hundreds of gallons over time. Pick up a wrench and fix your leaky faucets for a quick and easy way to curtail water usage.
• Locate your master water shut-off valve: In case of a pipe burst, you’ll need to know how to shut off water in your home. This will not only save gallons of water, but potentially your property as well. *Coming soon: Measuring and reducing corporate water footprints AND Water Stewardship