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Conserving Water in Your Home

WaterPieChart_guideline8There are many things you can do to conserve water, whether you are on a well or municipal water system. Examine your water bill each month, or if you don’t have one, have a water meter installed and keep track of your water usage. See if you can reduce your use each month for a year.

Here are some tips to get started:

  • Fix leaky faucets. Even a small drip can easily waste 20 gallons of water each day.
  • In the kitchen and laundry:
    • Use a high efficiency washing machine and save up to 16 gallons of water per load.
    • Run full loads. Fill your dishwashers and washing machines before you run them.
  • In the bathroom:
    • Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. 
    • Install a water-efficient showerhead and take shorter showers. 
    • Check your toilet for leaks by placing two or three drops of food coloring in the toilet reservoir and checking the bowl (without flushing) for the appearance of color. Fix leaks when you find them.
    • Install low-flow or ultra-low flow toilets saving 13,000 gallons per year for a family of four.
    • Modify older toilets that use more than 1.6 gallons per flush, place a half-gallon plastic bottle filled with pebbles in the toilet tank. Be sure the bottle doesn’t interfere with the flushing mechanism. Don’t use a brick in the tank as it could break down and pieces could get caught in the mechanical parts of the toilet.