According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, just over one-quarter of the U.S. is currently experiencing moderate to exceptional drought conditions. Even if you’re not currently in an area that is experiencing a water shortage, there are many things you can do to help conserve water. Some are very simple and take no effort; others take a bit more planning and forethought. Quite a few will save you on your water bill.
Turn Off the Faucet
Many of us are guilty of running water while brushing our teeth. There is no need – and if you brush for two minutes, you may be wasting as much as three gallons of water! Brush twice a day and you’re wasting 180 gallons of water a month! The same goes for men who shave. Instead, fill your sink with water and rinse your razor in the water rather than running it the whole time you’re shaving.
The kitchen faucet runs at even higher pressure, meaning you may be wasting two or more gallons per minute. Of course, you need to rinse your dishes, but you don’t need to run the water the whole time you’re washing them. Fill your sink with soapy water, wash the dishes, then rinse.
Invest in Water-Saving Appliances, Toilets & Showerheads
If you’re at the point of replacing appliances, look at their water usage. HE washers use less water to clean your clothes. Dishwashers also use different amounts of water. ENERGY STAR®-rated appliances do more with less. You may even find that you no longer need to rinse your dishes with a new, more effective dishwasher, saving even more water.
A running toilet wastes water and is annoying to listen to. Replacing the inside mechanism is easy and inexpensive. If you don’t have a low-flow toilet that uses less per flush, see if you can adjust how much water the toilet uses by adjusting the ball. If you can’t, fill a liter soda bottle with half water and half sand, put the lid on it and set it in the tank to reduce the water used each flush. Combine this technique with low-flow showerheads and you’ll save even more water.
Use ‘Gray Water’
Gray water is the potentially wasted water in and around your home that is great for watering plants or rinsing a spilled popsicle from your porch, but that you wouldn’t necessarily want to drink. Some ways you can get gray water is by leaving a bucket in the shower as the water warms up. If you’re waiting for hot water in the kitchen to wash dishes, fill your watering can to water your indoor plants or let the water run into a pot to cook with later.
Another option is by routing your gutters into a rain barrel. Of course, this works better when you have a covered gutter system so you don’t get the leaves in the water. Although investing in rain gutter protection comes with a cost, not having to clean gutters and being able to use the rainwater will save you money over time. If you don’t already have rain gutter protection and want to learn more about Gutter Helmet’s superior products for a covered gutter system, call (800) 824-3772 to be connected to your local dealer or fill out our contact form and we’ll make sure they contact you.
