Saving Water Indoors

How many gallons of water can you save each day? Take a look at the tips below. Then, use the Water Use Calculator to see how much water you are currently using.

Water Use Calculator

In the bathroom—where over half of all water use inside a home takes place:

• Turn off the tap. Save up to 10 gallons per day by turning off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
• Shower power! Showers use less water than baths. To save even more water, try to keep the shower under five minutes long.
• Close the drain. Close the tub drain before turning on the water. The initial burst of cold water will be warmed by the hot water as the tub fills.

In the kitchen

• Capture water. Plug up the sink or use a wash basin if washing dishes by hand.
• Use a dishwasher… And when you do, make sure it's full load!
• Scrape your plate. Instead of rinsing your plate before loading it into the dishwasher, scrape.
• Water in refrigerator. Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
• Thaw in the refrigerator. Thaw frozen foods overnight in the refrigerator rather than using running water.
• Use garbage disposal sparingly. Compost your kitchen waste instead of using the garbage disposal.

In the laundry room

• Wash full loads. Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.
• Shortest cycle. Use the shortest wash cycle for lightly soiled loads since normal and permanent press cycles use more water.