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Water Saving Tips

  • Shorten your shower.  Even a one- or two-minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons per month.
  • Use low-flow shower heads or flow restrictors in regular shower heads.  When you can, take a shallow bath instead of a shower.  This saves 15-20 gallons each time.
  • Place a bucket in the shower to catch excess water to later water plants.  This also works when washing dishes or vegetables in the sink.
  • Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, and then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.
  • Put bathroom trash in the wastebasket and cigarettes in the ashtray instead of flushing them down the toilet.
  • Displace water in the toilet tank so you use less with each flush.  You can do this with a plastic bottle of water weighted with pebbles, etc.  This saves 5 gallons each day.
  • Check toilet for leaks by dropping dye tablets or food coloring into the tank.  If color appears in the bowl without flushing, there is a leak that should be repaired, which saves bunches of water.
  • Fix leaky faucets: Just one drip a second can waste 2,000 gallons of water per year.
  • Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.  This saves 3 gallons each day.
  • Rinse your razor with short blasts of water or by swishing it in a partially-filled sink instead of running the water while you shave.  This saves 3 gallons each day.
  • Fix leaking faucets and plumbing joints.  This saves 20+ gallons per day per leak.
  • Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.
  • Keep a bottle in the refrigerator for drinking instead of running the tap for cold water.  Defrost frozen food without running water over the packages.  Either plan ahead by placing frozen items in the refrigerator overnight or defrost them in the microwave.  Rinse vegetables in a filled sink or pan instead of under running water.
  • Use the garbage disposal less and the garbage can more.  This saves 50-150 gallons per month.
  • When washing dishes by hand, use a spray device or short blasts instead of letting the water run for rinsing. Also, use the least amount of detergent possible to minimize rinse water needed.
  • Use “mulch” (hunks of bark, peat moss or gravel) to cover bare ground in gardens and around trees to slow down evaporation.
  • Plant drought-resistant native trees and plants.
  • Set lawn mower blades one notch higher since longer grass means less evaporation.

Consumer Confidence Reports