If it weren’t for my water bill, I might not realize how much water we’re using. In 2009, the Department of Energy estimated that a family of four spends over $400 a year on showers (based on a 10-minute shower). Now, that might be just a bit less since I’m lucky if I get even a 5 minute shower in. But we consume water in many other ways…rinsing dishes, watering our lawn, flushing the toilets. There are many simple, effective ways to curb your water expenditure:
Install a Low-Flow Showerhead: Green Choice Showerheads can save you up to $250 a year on your water bill. They’re affordable, easy to install, and offer 5 different spray settings. ShowerTek offers both Wall and Handheld units under $30 (I prefer the handheld). I like a lot of water pressure when I shower and I don’t miss that with Green Choice Showerheads. You can even adjust the flow easily during your shower, based on whether you’re washing your hair, your face, or your body. So how do you know if you need to replace your showerhead? If your shower fills a one gallon bucket in twenty seconds (or less), you should switch to a low-flower showerhead.
Turn Off the Water: While you shave, brush your teeth and wash your hair. Did you know that an average faucet flows at about 1 gallon per minute and an average shower at 2.5 gallons per minute? You could be saving a lot of money and resources simply by being mindful of this fact.
Water During Off-Peak Hours: It’s preferable to water outdoors in the morning to reduce the amount of water wasted. Less water is lost to evaporation because of the cooler air. And remember that most plants die from over rather than under-watering.
Fix Leaky Faucets: Fixing a leak can save 300 gallons a month (3 gallons per day, according to the U.S. Geological Survey).
Fix Leaky Toilets: Insert a displacement device in the tank of any toilet installed before 1992. You can do this simple test to see if you have a leak. Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, you have a leak. You can also put a full water bottle in the tank to save water with each flush or upgrade to a water efficient model.
Use a Commercial Car Wash: They tend to use water more efficiently…even recycling the water they use. Compare 45 gallons of water used per car at commercial car wash versus 80-140 gallons used if you do it yourself at home.
There are actually over one hundred ways to conserve water. Read about them on Water-Use it Wisely.
I did not receive compensation for this post. Product samples were received from ShowerTek to facilitate this article.
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Here are additional tips: when you are leaving home for a vacation, turn off water source of your washing machine and remove water valve. This will help ease up water pressure in the rubber seal of the water valve. The intense pressure often times damages rubber seal which causes water valve leaking. When you are away, you won’t be able to check the leaky problem. Also make sure you clean your washer regularly. Removing lint, accumulate debris in the water filter and lime deposits in the drain pipes can improve your washer’s efficiency and will prevent clogged drain.