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Water Conservation Tips
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Visit FAQs for more information on how to conserve water.

Water... A natural resource in limited supply.

There are millions of people around the world without an adequate supply of drinking water. It is up to each of us to do what we can to conserve water. Otherwise, someday there won't be enough fresh water to sustain civilization as we know it.

Water, like the air we breathe, is a natural resource we can't do without. And interestingly, it's a natural resource most of us take for granted. So why don't we do a better job of conserving water? If the world supply of gas and oil suddenly came to an end, alternate energy sources would come to the forefront. But if the world supply of fresh water suddenly came to an end, the end of mankind would soon follow. As our population continues to grow, demands on water increase.

What do you do to conserve water? Using water saving techniques can save you money, and from an environmental standpoint, there is less demand on our lakes, rivers, and aquifers. It can also reduce water and wastewater treatment costs and the amount of energy used to treat, pump, and heat water. This lowers energy demand, which in turn helps prevent air pollution.

There are several things we we can all do to conserve water. Homes with high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and appliances save about 30 % of indoor water use and yield substantial savings on water, sewer, and energy bills. This is not intended to be an all inclusive list, but should serve as a general guide of some simple things we can each do around our homes and businesses.

LAWN & GARDEN: Evaporation versus transpiration... Evaporation is the process by which water is transformed from its liquid form to its vapor form. Transpiration, on the other hand is the process by which plants "pull" water from the soil, through their roots to supply photosynthesis, bring minerals from the roots for biosynthesis within the leaf, and to cool the leaf. Why is this important to know? Because, by using sprinklers to water our lawns, we are wasting most of the water we put on our lawns. On a hot summer day, most of it evaporates into the air and never gets to the place it is needed... in the soil for the roots to pick up. The use of soaker hoses and underground sprinklers that utilize "drip" or perforated tubing buried in small artificial gravel troughs just below root depth help to eliminate this waste. Also, watering your lawn while it is cooler and less sunny will help reduce the water loss to evaporation.

Conserve water by using rain barrels to capture rain water, for watering your lawn, trees, and flowers.

BATHROOM:

1) Take showers, not baths.

2) Keep your shower under 5-minutes.

3) Install a low-flow shower head.

4) Bathe your young children together

5) Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, then adjust the temperature as you fill the tub.

6) Install water-efficient toilets.

7) Make sure the flapper doesn't stick open when flushing the toilet.

8) If your toilet was installed prior to 1980, place a toilet dam or water bottle filled with water in your toilet to reduce the amount of water used for each flush. Be certain not to obstruct the operation of internal parts in the toilet tank.

9) Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.

10) When washing your hands, turn off the water while you lather your hands with soap.

KITCHEN:

1) Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold water.

2) Don't use running water to thaw food.

3) Select the proper size pans for cooking. Large pans require more cooking water than may be necessary. Besides, food will retain more of its nutrients if you can cook it in less water.

4) When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other side with rinse water.

5) If your dishwasher is new, cut back on rinsing your dishes. Newer models clean more thoroughly than older models.

6) Soak your pots & pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.

7) Designate one glass for your drinking each day. This will help reduce the number of times you run your dishwasher.

8) Install an instant water heater on your kitchen sink so you don't have to let the water run while it gets hot. This will also reduce the energy costs for your water heater.

9) Wash your produce in the sink or a pan that is filled with water instead of running water from the tap.

10) Buy fresh produce instead of canned produce. There is a tremendous amount of water used in the food processing industry, not to mention the waste water that is produced by food processing plants.

LAUNDRY:

1) When doing laundry, match the water level to the size of the load.

2) wash clothes only when you have a full load.

3) Use water-saving appliances.

4) Use hot water only for very dirty loads. Use cold water for rinse cycles.

5) Use cold water for washing the rest of your clothes. Over 90% of the energy used when washing clothes is to heat the water.


MISCELLANEOUS TIPS:

* When you give your pets fresh water, don't throw the old water down the drain. Use it to water your trees and shrubs.

* If you accidentally drop ice cubes on the floor when filling your glass, don't throw them down the drain. Drop them in a house plant instead.

* Keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up. use this water to water house plants.

* Collect the water you use foe rinsing produce and reuse it to water houseplants.

* When you clean your fishtank, use the dirty water to water your plants. This water contains nitrogen and phosphorus. This is free and efficient fertilizer for your plants.

* Insulate hot water pipes so you don't have to run as much hot water to get hot water to the faucet.

* Set the water heater at 120 degrees -- about halfway between high and medium. This will save energy and help prevent scalding.

* Reuse your towels. It's usually not necessary to have a clean towel with every bath or shower.


Ways to save water and $$$

A household typically wastes between 11,000 and 15,000 gallons of fresh water just WAITING for the hot water, after you turn on the faucet at the sink, shower, or bath. You can easily save one-third or more of your total water bill by installing a hot water recirculating system.

LEAKS: Check all water-using equipment and appliances for leaks. Faucet drips, outdoor sprinkler systems, running toilets, and home water treatment units are common sources of leaks. Small leaks can add up to many gallons and $ wasted each month. Conserving water, especially hot water, saves energy and $ as well as water. Leaky faucets that drip at a rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water each year. If you suspect you have a water-leak, but are unsure, read your water meter before and after a 2-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read the same, you probably have a water leak.

Leaky faucet tip: There is a good chance you can get parts to repair your leaky faucet FREE. Starting approx 10 years ago, most kitchen and bathroom faucets are under warranty from the manufacturer, for the original purchaser. Call the manufacturer and ask for parts to repair your leaky faucet. It's a great way to save water and $.

TOILETS: The major water use inside a home is toilet flushing. If your toilet was built prior to 1992 you probably could benefit from installing high-efficiency toilets that use 1.6 gallons or less per flush. By making this change, a family of 4 could save between 14,000 to 25,000 gallons of water each year.

WASHING MACHINES: Washers are the second largest water user in your home. When you replace your washer, you should consider replacing it with an ENERGY STAR qualified washer. ENERGY STAR washers use 35% less water and 50% less energy per load. Most full-sized ENERGY STAR qualified washers use 18-25 gallons of water, compared to 40 gallons used by a standard washing machine. To save more water, when buying a washer, look for a washer with a low water factor. The lower the factor, the less water the machine uses. Compared to models manufactured prior to 1994, an ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washer can save up to $110 per year on your water bill. ENERGY STAR qualified washers are available as both residential and residential-style commercial clothes washers.

Washing Machine Tips:

Wash full loads, not partial loads

Wash clothes in COLD water

WATER HEATERS: When buying a new water heater, always buy ENERGY STAR qualified equipment. Consider also using a tankless water heater instead of the traditional water heater. Also consider using point-of-use water heaters that will heat your cold water at the point where you need it.


DISHWASHERS: Replacing a dishwasher manufactured prior to 1994 with an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher can save you more than $30 per year in utility costs. ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers use at least 41% less energy than the federal minimum standard for energy consumption. Since ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers use less water than conventional models, this helps conserve this natural resource. Because they use less hot water, compared to conventional models, an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher saves about $100 over its lifetime.

Dishwashing Tips (Whether using a standard or ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher):

1) Rinsing dishes can use up to 20 gallons of water before the dishes are even loaded. Save yourself the rinsing. Just scrape food off the dishes and let today's detergents do the rest.

2) Run your dishwasher with a full load. Most of the energy used by a water heater goes to heat water. Since you can't decrease the amount of water used per wash cycle, fill the dishwasher to get the most from the energy used.

3) AVOID using the heat-dry, rinse-hold, and pre-rinse features. Instead, use the air-dry option.

BATHS & SHOWERS: A full bathtub typically requires about 70 gallons of water. But taking a 5-minute shower uses only 10-20 gallons of water. If you take a bath, plug the drain immediately as you begin to fill the tub and adjust the temperature as you fill the tub. Low-flow shower heads are inexpensive, and can save a family more than 500 gallons of water each week.

FAUCETS: The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons per minute. Turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth in the morning and at bedtime can save up to 8 gallons of water per day, which equals 240 gallons a month.. or 2,880 gallons per year.

Prevent accidental flooding

A new device, called a FLOODSAFE valve, was introduced into the market that helps prevent accidental flooding in a home or business. This simple device is built into various types of flexible hoses used to connect faucets, toilets, washing machines, and dishwashers to water supply lines. When these devices sense a sudden surge in water pressure (such as would occur with a bursting washing machine hose), they immediately shut down the flow of water... preventing accidental flooding. This is a great way to prevent accidental flooding, which means saving water and saving you a potentially large repair bill.



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