Do's and Don'ts of Home Water Conservation

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Real Estate

Home Water Conservation

  • Repair any leaks in your toilets.
  • To reduce the water required to flush, put a quart plastic bottle of water in the tank and save one quart per flush or adjust the float level.
  • Replace your old toilet if it was manufactured before 1992. Newer toilets use only 1.6 gallons per flush.
  • Take showers instead of tub baths and limit shower time to two minutes or less.
  • Install a flow-control device in your showers.
  • Turn off shower water while you apply soap to body, or shampoo and shave.
  • Don’t use your clothes washing machine with less than a full load or use a lower water-level setting.
  • Replace your clothes washer. Newer models can use up to 50 percent less water than older ones.
  • Pretreat stains to avoid rewashing, and use the shortest wash cycle for lightly soiled loads.
  • Use a pan of water when peeling and cleaning vegetables and fruits rather than letting the sink tap run.
  • Use the garbage disposal only once per dishwashing session.
  • Don’t run the tap to get cold water. Keep a bottle of water in the refrigerator for drinking.
  • Don’t thaw frozen foods with running tap water.
  • Run the dishwasher only when it is completely full, and scrape rather than rinse dishes that go in the dishwasher.
  • Use one pan of soapy water and one of hot water for washing dishes by hand.
  • Water the lawn less frequently and only at night to reduce evaporation losses.
  • Install an automatic sprinkler system, which is much more water efficient than hand watering.
  • Water dry areas by hand. Plant drought-resistant plants and trees.
  • Don't water your driveway, sidewalks, house or neighbor’s lawn, and don’t water when it’s windy out.
  • Use a drip system for gardens, which encourages strong root systems and cuts down on evaporation.
  • Remove weeds promptly – they rob other plants of water.
  • Mow less – mowing puts grass under stress, which makes it need more water.
  • Don’t use the hose to clean driveways and decks. Use a broom.
  • When washing the car, get it wet then turn off the water while you soap the car down. Use the hose only for the final rinse.
  • Turn off all water if you are going to be away from home on a vacation or trip.
  • Mulch shrubs and garden plants to retain moisture in the soil longer.