Water Conservation Tips
Water Conservation Tips
Illustration by Robert Zimmerman
Toilets, Taps, Showers, Laundry, and Dishes * 1994 was the year that federally mandated low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets started to appear on the scene in significant numbers. * On average, 10 gallons per day of your water footprint (or 14% of your indoor use) is lost to leaks. Short of installing new water-efficient fixtures, one of the easiest, most effective ways to cut your footprint is by repairing leaky faucets and toilets. * If you use a low-flow showerhead, you can save 15 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower. * Every time you shave minutes off your use of hot water, you also save energy and keep dollars in your pocket. * It takes about 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub, so showers are generally the more water-efficient way to bathe. * All of those flushes can add up to nearly 20 gallons a day down the toilet. If you still have a standard toilet, which uses close to 3.5 gallons a flush, you can save by retrofitting or filling your tank with something that will displace some of that water, such as a brick. * Most front-loading machines are energy- and water-efficient, using just over 20 gallons a load, while most top-loading machines, unless they are energy-efficient, use 40 gallons per load. * Nearly 22% of indoor home water use comes from doing laundry. Save water by making sure to adjust the settings on your machine to the proper load size. * Dishwashing is a relatively small part of your water footprint—less than 2% of indoor use—but there are always ways to conserve. Using a machine is actually more water efficient than hand washing, especially if you run full loads. * Energy Star dishwashers use about 4 gallons of water per load, and even standard machines use only about 6 gallons. Hand washing generally uses about 20 gallons of water each time. Yards and Pools * Nearly 60% of a person's household water footprint can go toward
Illustration by Robert Zimmerman
Toilets, Taps, Showers, Laundry, and Dishes * 1994 was the year that federally mandated low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets started to appear on the scene in significant numbers. * On average, 10 gallons per day of your water footprint (or 14% of your indoor use) is lost to leaks. Short of installing new water-efficient fixtures, one of the easiest, most effective ways to cut your footprint is by repairing leaky faucets and toilets. * If you use a low-flow showerhead, you can save 15 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower. * Every time you shave minutes off your use of hot water, you also save energy and keep dollars in your pocket. * It takes about 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub, so showers are generally the more water-efficient way to bathe. * All of those flushes can add up to nearly 20 gallons a day down the toilet. If you still have a standard toilet, which uses close to 3.5 gallons a flush, you can save by retrofitting or filling your tank with something that will displace some of that water, such as a brick. * Most front-loading machines are energy- and water-efficient, using just over 20 gallons a load, while most top-loading machines, unless they are energy-efficient, use 40 gallons per load. * Nearly 22% of indoor home water use comes from doing laundry. Save water by making sure to adjust the settings on your machine to the proper load size. * Dishwashing is a relatively small part of your water footprint—less than 2% of indoor use—but there are always ways to conserve. Using a machine is actually more water efficient than hand washing, especially if you run full loads. * Energy Star dishwashers use about 4 gallons of water per load, and even standard machines use only about 6 gallons. Hand washing generally uses about 20 gallons of water each time. Yards and Pools * Nearly 60% of a person's household water footprint can go toward