Water Conservation Tips
An average home uses more than 200 gallons of water per day
- Clothes washer - 21.7% of water use; 56,000 gallons/year
- Operate only full loads and/or use correct volume settings
- Consider replacement - old washers use approximately 41 gallons per load, while new high-efficiency machines use only 23 gallons.
- Dishwasher - 1.4% of water use; 3600 gallons/year
- Wash full loads
- Consider replacement - reduce by 30-50% water usage per load
- Faucet - 16% of water use; 35,000 gallons/year
- Turn off the water running while brushing teeth, shaving, or washing
- Catch "warm-up" water and use for plants
- Consider installing low flow restrictors/aerators to faucets ($2-4)
- Irrigation systems - seasonally highest domestic use; up to 100,000 gallons/year or more
- Lawns need only 1 inch of water per week, and they don't need to be watered daily; overwatering causes 85% of turf problems
- Water at night, if possible, to reduce evapotranspiration
- Upgrade your sprinkler clock
- Install a rain shutoff device
- Collect rainwater with a rain bucket or cistern system with drip lines
- Convert turf to low water-use landscaping such as drought resistant grass, plants, shrubs and trees
- Showerhead - 16% of water use; 37,000 gallons/year
- Take shorter showers (typical shower lasts 8 minutes and uses 17 gallons; an efficient shower lasts 3 or 4 minutes and uses 7.5 gallons)
- Leaks 14% of water use; 30,000 gallons/year
- Check for and repair toilet leaks - will waste from 30 to 500 gallons of water per day
- Fix faucet leaks (usually a washer will work) - a gradual dripping faucet can leak up to 5 gallons of water per day
- Irrigation systems typically leak 20-40%
- Toilet - 27% of water use; 60,000 gallons/year
- Offset older toilets with a plastic jug of pebbles and water to minimize flushing
- Flush less frequently