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With water shortages occuring around the country, it's important for everyone to try to conserve water wherever possible. The following tips can help you and your family become water wise.
Inside the Home
- Fix leaky faucets or toilets as soon as possible. To find out if your toilet is leaking, put a small amount
of food coloring in the fresh water tank. After a few minutes, check to see if any of the colored water appears in the toilet bowl. If it does, your toilet is leaking.
- For a quick glass of cold water, keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap until the
water turns cold.
- Don't let the water run when washing dishes by hand. Instead, fill one sink with wash water and the other with
rinse water.
- Install low-volume faucets, shower heads, and toilets. Look for those units bearing the Water SenseSM mark.
- Operate dishwashers and clothes washers only when you have a full load. If you need to wash only a partial load of clothes, adjust the water level appropriately.
Outside the Home
- Check sprinklers frequently and adjust them so that only the lawn is being watered, not the house or driveway.
- Water lawns and gardens early in the morning to reduce water lost to evaporation.
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks.
- Wash your car on the grass so that the grass is watered at the same time.
By changing normal water usage habits, the average family can save hundreds of gallons of water a month as well as reduce monthly water bills.
For additional information, please visit the water section of the site.
