The following is a guest post by Marcy Tate. Please see the bottom of the article for her author bio.
When it comes to saving, it’s the little things that matter: Small savings
add up. If you want to conserve water and reduce your water bill, small
changes will do the trick.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average
household spends as much as $500 per year on its water and sewer bills. By
making just a few simple alterations to use water more efficiently, you
could save a minimum of $170 per year.
There are three steps involved in lowering your water bills: changing your
water usage habits, installing water saving devices for your sinks, showers
and toilets and plumbing maintenance.
Step 1: Change Your Water Usage Habits
Changing habits can be challenging, and it won’t happen overnight. At first,
change only a few of your water usage habits. Change some more habits after
you become more comfortable conserving water in your home. Encourage all
your family members to change their habits as well. The more family members
onboard, the greater the savings will be. Young children learn their water
usage habits from their parents. Setting an example for your children when
they’re young will help them develop water saving habits for the future.
Brushing Teeth
Don’t let the water run while you brush your teeth. Most standard bathroom
faucets use 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Turning of the faucet while you
brush your teeth could save hundreds of gallons of water each week.
Washing Dishes
Turn off the faucet while scrubbing dishes. A water-conscious way to wash
dishes is to do it in two steps. First, scrub the dishes (the faucet should
be off), cleaning the sponge as necessary. Second, turn on the faucet and
rinse the dishes.
Dishwasher
Only run the dishwasher when it is fully loaded with dishes. Avoid using the
pre-wash cycle, as this uses additional water. If you need a new dishwasher,
purchase an Energy Star qualified dishwasher. Energy Star dishwashers use
5.8 gallons of water per cycle. Older dishwashers (those purchased before
1994), use about 8 additional gallons of water.
Washing Machine
Use your washing machine only when you have full loads. If you have a water
level option on your washing machine, use it! Wearing clothes more than once
will also help decrease the number of loads per week. If you are in the
market for a new washing machine, purchase a high-efficiency model.
High-efficiency washing machines use less than 28 gallons of water per load
(the average washing machine uses about 41 gallons of water per load).
Showers
Take shorter showers. Cutting down your shower time by just a minute or two
will decrease the amount of water wasted and will certainly save money.
Additionally, consider leaving the water off while you shave.
Baths
Limit the amount of water used during bath time for your children. You can
save hundreds of gallons of water each week by teaching your children how to
take a shower. A full bathtub requires about 70 gallons of water, while
taking a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons. Children over the age of
6 can easily maneuver a hand-held showerhead. A quick shower for a child
uses less water than a quick bath.
Drinking Water
Keep drinking water in the fridge to avoid wasting water while you wait for
the tap to get cold.
Landscaping
Water your lawn and garden in moderation. Decide on your landscaping
priorities: Would you rather keep more money in your pocket or have a lush,
green lawn? Just one hour of watering with an in-ground sprinkler system can
use up to 250 gallons of water. Consider drip irrigation systems. They are
more efficient than conventional in-ground sprinklers because no water is
lost to wind, runoff or evaporation. According to the EPA, if your in-ground
system uses 100,000 gallons annually, you could potentially save more than
200,000 gallons over the lifetime of a drip irrigation, should you choose to
install it. That adds up to savings of at least $1,150. Use drought-tolerant
plants in your garden. They’ll help reduce the need for watering. Consider
harvesting rainwater. Simple collecting and storing of rainwater to be used
for your lawn or garden will cut down on your water usage.
Step 2: Install Water Saving Devices
Water saving devices can be installed in toilets, showerheads and faucets.
Installing water saving devices is simple, even for beginner
do-it-yourselfers. Most products come with detailed installation
instructions. If you are unsure, do some research on the Web. Chances are
that you’ll find a video demonstrating the installation of various devices.
If you are still unsure, recruit the help of a handy family member, friend
or neighbor.
Low Flow Showerheads
Low flow showerheads deliver 1.6 gallons of water per minute. This is much
less than the 4-5 gallons per minute that conventional showerheads deliver.
You can purchase a good quality low flow showerhead for under $20.
Dual-Flush Toilet or Dual-Flush Toilet Switch
If your toilet is from 1992 or earlier, you probably have an inefficient
model that uses at least 3.5 gallons per flush. If you are in need of a new
toilet, purchase a dual-flush toilet. They provide two flushing options:
full flush or half flush. The full flush typically uses 1.6 gallons of water
and the half flush uses about .8 gallons. If you do not need to replace your
toilet, then you can purchase a flush adapter, which is installed into the
toilet tank. These cost about $100.
Low-Flow Faucet Aerators
Faucet aerators look like tiny screens and cost about $10. Low-flow aerators
decrease the amount of water flowing from the faucet. Without an aerator,
the water comes out in a gushing flow. An aerator spreads the flow, which
saves water.
Step 3: Plumbing Maintenance
Checking for leaky pipes, toilets and sinks will help prevent costly leaks.
Leaks often go undetected and it’s a waste to pay for water you aren’t even
using. You’ll notice a lower water bill as soon as you fix any leaks.
Insulate Pipes
Cover your hot water pipes with foam insulation to prevent heat loss. It
will decrease the time you need to run the water to get it warm. Uninsulated
pipes allow heat loss while transferring the water to your faucets.
About The Author:
Marcy Tate is a blogger at Networx.com. She also writes for Plumbing Networks.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Another one that I found a little more difficult to make into a habit (but had quite an effect on my monthly bill) was to turn the water off when you’re soaping up in the shower.
Actually, its more convenient, and you waste less soap.
Maybe not so doable in the wintertime when you want a hot shower.
But I definitely sttarted doing it in the summer.
Why not turn of the shower (or just trickle) when you are soping up. Saves GALLONS!
Thanks –
Karen
Karen and David- those are great additional tips, thanks!
Great ideas! It’s interesting to me because we always just assume water will just be there. But having lived in and stayed in countries where water is actually brought to the house and stored in cisterns on the roof really helps you to realize how much water we actually use. Once, in Mexico, I accidentally left the toilet running and when I came back, the whole family was panicked because it had used all the water in the cistern!
I like the dual flush toilets…or the old fashioned and slightly unseemly option of “if it’s yellow, it’s mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down”
Ck out the automatic shut off aerator and dual flush toilet kits! http://www.aquabarrel.com/faucet
Lol Cassie – that old fashioned toilet rule can save a lot!