With the recent droughts in our area, conserving water is on everyone’s minds. Below are are a number of easy things you can do to help conserve water and reduce your water bill.

Ensure that everything is in working order. Be sure to regularly inspect your faucets as a dripping faucet can waste up to 20 gallons of water per day. Many times the problem is an old washer, but replacing it is easy and inexpensive. In addition, don’t forget to inspect your toilet, often the cause for a leaky commode is to replace the flange in the tank (the little piece that lifts when you flush.)

Minimize your water use. Many of us use more water than we should simply because we don’t think about it. Running the water while brushing your teeth or shaving, running the dishwasher when it is not full are some of the habits that can waste a lot of water. By changing these habits, you can save a lot of water-up to 1000 gallons a month! Do whatever you can to minimize the amount of water you expend.

Upgrade to water saving fixtures. Replacing fixtures doesn’t have to be expensive, and even if you do decide to spend a little more on an upgraded fixture, the money you save will more than pay for the expense. Some ideas are below.

Showerheads that save water. Three billion gallons of water flow through showerheads every day in this country–half of it unnecessarily. Most showerheads use twice the water needed for a typical shower. Consider installing a low-flow showerhead. It reduces the amount of water used; some models even offer pause buttons to allow you to stop the flow while shampooing.

Install a water conserving commode. A water-saving toilet uses half the water that a normal one does in flushing. Older toilets use five gallons per flush; newer ones often reduce this to 1.6 gallons per flush. When you multiply that by uses per day, per week it adds up.

Install faucet aerators. You can save around 25 to 40 percent on the hot and cold water running out of each faucet you aerate. Aerators restrict the flow of water, compressing it into a higher-pressure discharge than regular faucets. They also introduce air bubbles into the water, making it feel like there is a larger water flow. They reduce water flow by about 50 percent or more.

These are some ideas to get you started, for more information on what you can do inside your home to save water visit http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/. Keep in mind just because the fixtures save water does not mean they are not stylish; you will be surprised how beautiful and functional they are. Visit your local home improvement store for some ideas today!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 at 11:24 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.