It’s Time to Get Serious about Saving Water
- The Bathroom :
1. Our toilet doesn’t leak
– Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If the coloring begins to appear in the bowl
without flushing you have a wasteful leak that should be repaired at once.
2. We don’t use our toilet as a wastebasket
– Flushing a used facial tissue down the toilet wastes about 2 gallons of water.
3. We have a toilet that uses only 1.6 gallons of water or less.
– All toilets sold after 1992 are required to use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. New
high-efficiency toilets operate very well with even less water. If you have an older toilet, you may
save from 2 to 4 gallons per flush by replacing it with a new model. You may also be eligible for
an incentive to lower the cost of that new toilet – check www.bewaterwise.com for more
information.
4. We take quick showers.
– Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down, and rinse off – 3 to 5 minutes.
Also, when waiting for the water to warm up, catch the cold water in a bucket; use it to flush the
toilet or help water the yard.
5. The adults in our family turn off the water while shaving.
– Fill the sink with a few inches of water in which to rinse your razor.
6. Our bathroom faucets and pipes do not leak.
7. We have installed water-saving shower heads or flow restrictors.
– Run your shower into a bucket for 30 seconds. If more than 1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) of water are
in the bucket, you need a flow restrictor. Your hardware or plumbing supply store stocks
inexpensive, easy to install shower heads and flow restrictors that still give you cleansing,
refreshing showers.
8. We take baths with shallow water.
– A partially filled tub uses less water than all but the shortest showers.
9. We turn off the water while brushing our teeth.
– Before brushing, wet your brush and fill a glass of water for rinsing your mouth. - Kitchen and Laundry
10. We use the automatic dishwasher only for full loads.
– It uses less water than washing by hand.
11. We use the automatic washing machine only for full loads of laundry.
12. We don’t let the faucet run to clean vegetables.
13. We keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator.
– Running tap water to cool it for drinking wastes water.
14. When we wash dishes by hand, we don’t leave the water running for rinsing.
– If you have two sinks, fill one with rinse water. If you have only one sink, put your washed dishes
in a dish rack and rinse them quickly with a spray device or pan of water.
15. Our kitchen and laundry room faucets and pipes do not leak. - Outside
16. We water the lawn only when it needs it.
– Step on your grass. If it springs back when you life your foot, it doesn’t need water. Check
bewaterwise.com for tips on watering and plants. If you have an irrigation system, upgrade to a
Smart Controller that automatically adjusts the amount of water for weather conditions.
17. We water during the cool part of the day.
– Early morning is better than dusk, since it helps prevent the growth of fungus.
18. We deep soak our lawn.
– When you water your lawn, water it long enough for the water to seep down to the roots where
it is needed. A light sprinkling, which sits on the surface, will evaporate and be wasted.
19. We don’t water the gutter.
– Position your sprinklers so the water lands on your lawn or garden, not on concrete or other
paved areas. Also, avoid watering on windy days.
20. We’ve made our landscape California Friendly with trees and plants naturally suited to our
climate.
– Many beautiful trees and plants thrive with little water in our semiarid region.
21. We put a layer of mulch around trees and plants.
– Mulch slows the evaporation of moisture.
22. We use a broom instead of a hose to clean driveways and sidewalks.
23. We don’t let the hose run while washing the car.
– Soap down your car from a pail of soapy water. Use a hose only to rinse it off.
24. The children do not play with the hose and sprinklers.
25. We have no leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets, and couplings.
– Leaks outside the house can be extremely wasteful. To check for hidden leaks in your pipes,
make sure no water is being used around the house and watch the water meter for 10-15
minutes. If the meter shows some movement during that time, you have a leak.