Conserving Water

Make conscious choices to lower your consumption of water. Conserving water not only helps save our resources for future generations, it can save you money on your water bill as well. Little things you can do to save water include:^[8]

Taking 5-minute showers or only filling the bathtub one-quarter to one-third of the way full.
Turning off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth.
Using urinals in public restrooms when they are available (for men and boys).

Wash only full loads of laundry in the washing machine to reduce waste. Putting just a couple of dirty clothes into the washing machine uses extra electricity and wastes water. To save on electricity and reduce waste, wait until you have a full load of dirty clothes before running your machine.^[9]

If you only have a small load of clothes, wash them by hand instead.
Alternatively, consider investing in a high-efficiency washing machine.

Run your dishwasher only when it is completely full. Dishwashers not only use a lot of water, they use extra energy to heat the water up. Expect to save an average of $40.00 on your bills and prevent over 100 pounds (45 kg) of carbon pollution each year by only washing full loads.^[10]

If you only have a few dishes to wash and are washing by hand, use a plug to fill the sink about one-quarter of the way full. Don’t allow the tap to continuously run while you wash and rinse.

Install low-flow plumbing fixtures to help save water with every use. Consider putting low-flow faucets or faucet aerators in your kitchen and bathroom sinks, and low-flow shower heads and toilets in every bathroom in your home. A low-flow showerhead can cost as little as $10.00, but can reduce your water consumption by 30-50%.^[11]

Use a pool cover if you have an outdoor swimming pool. Using a cover will greatly reduce the amount of water that evaporates and thus the amount of water that is needed to refill the pool. The more the water in your pool evaporates, the more water you need to use to fill the pool back up. Without a cover, you will use 30-50% more water.^[12]