Homeowners waste hundreds of gallons of water a day doing common activities such as washing dishes and clothes, taking showers and flushing toilets. When you cut back on how much water you consume in your home, you not only reduce your water bill, you also are doing your part to help the environment. You can cut back on water consumption both inside and outside your home by making small changes in behavior and investing in water-saving appliances.
Instructions
1. Install a low flush toilet in your bathroom. Low flush toilets only use up to 1.6 gallons of water per flush while regular toilets can use up to 5 gallons, states the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
2. Limit the length of showers to 5 minutes and use low flow showerheads. Showerheads manufactured before 1992 had a 4.5 or 5.5 gallon per minute flow rate, but newer low flow showerheads only use 2.5 gallons of water per minute, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
3. Fill the dishwasher or washing machine completely before use, this can save you 10 to 20 gallons of water daily, states the Environmental Protection Agency. If possible use energy-efficient settings, or when purchasing a washing machine or dishwasher, look for one with an ENERGY STAR label.
4. Take sprinklers in your yard off a timing system. If your sprinklers are set to go off at a specific time each day, you could end up watering your lawn at unnecessary times, like after a rainstorm. The Environmental Protection Agency also recommends watering your lawn in the morning or evening when it is not hot to keep the water from evaporating too quickly.
5. Turn off the water when shaving, brushing your teeth or soaping your hands. Also turn off the shower when washing your hair.
6. Get a rain barrel, a 55-gallon container that collects and stores rainwater runoff for non-drinking purposes. The Environmental Protection Agency says that households save 1,300 gallons of water during the summer when using a rain barrel. Rain barrels connect to a downspout and have a hose attached so the water can be used to wash cars, water plants, fill pools and clean driveways.
Tags: gallons water, Environmental Protection, Environmental Protection Agency, Protection Agency, flow showerheads, only gallons