Saving Water Inside The Home

  • brushing-teethNever use the toilet as a waste basket. Some older model toilets use 7 gallons of water each time they are flushed!
  • Check toilets for leaks at least yearly using a simple dye test. A leaky toilet, usually caused by a warped or poor fitting flapper, can waste up to 200 gallons of water each day. Check for leaks by placing ten drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. After a few minutes, if you see color in the toilet bowl, you have a leak.
  • Turn the water off when shaving or brushing your teeth. This practice can save up to 10 gallons each time you shave or brush.
  • Replace high flow faucet aerators in sinks with low flow aerators. For bathroom faucets, choose an aerator with 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) flow. For a kitchen faucet, an aerator using 1.5 to 2.5 gpm will work fine. This practice could reduce water use by 25 percent.
  • Use low-flow Showerheads. While older heads use 5 to 10 gpm, new models use up to 2.5 gpm while providing equal water coverage and force. This practice could reduce water use by 35 percent.
  • When doing laundry, use the correct water level or load size adjustment for the size load you're washing.
  • Fix those leaky faucets! Even a small leak the size of a pin head could waste up to 7 gallons each day.
  • Do not use water to defrost frozen foods. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight instead.
  • Operate the dishwasher only when it is completely full.
Other Indoor Water Saving Practices
  • Install high efficiency appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, to save water and energy. Most ENERGY STAR qualified appliances are also water conserving. For example, high efficiency clothes washers use 18-25 gallons of water per load, compared to 40 gallons used by a standard machine. See http://www.energystar.gov/ for specific models, research news, and more information.
  • Install instant (point-of-use) water heaters in bathrooms and kitchens to minimize water loss waiting for hotel water to reach the faucet from a remote water heater.
  • Replace high flow toilets, which use from 3 to 7 gallons per flush, with low-flow toilets that use 1.6 gallons per flush. New High Efficiency Toilets (HETs) use even less - 1.3 gallons per flush or less!