CONSERVATION MEASURES
HERE ARE SOME LINKS TO ADDITIONAL CONSERVATION MEASURES:
• Install a 1.6 Gallon Ultra Low-Flow Toilet. Replace your
old toilet, the largest water user in your home, and
you'll save 3.5 to 4.5 gallons on every flush! If your
home was built prior to 1992 and the toilet has never
been replaced, it's very likely that you do NOT have a
water efficient, 1.6 gallon-per-flush-toilet. (Check the
date the toilet was made by lifting the lid at the top of
the toilet tank and looking inside for the manufacturer's
date imprint.)
• If you can't install a new toilet, put a plastic container or
displacement bag in your toilet tank. Make one
by placing an inch or two of sand or pebbles into a one
quart or larger container. Fill the rest of the container
with water, then put the cap back on and place the
bottle in your toilet tank (safely away from the operating
mechanism). The container will save on each flush
without impairing the efficiency of the toilet.
• Check for leaks in your toilet. Toilets can have big
leaks-up to 200+ gallons per day. Check for water
leaking past the flapper valve at the bottom of the tank
and into the toilet bowL Put 10 drops of food coloring in
the tank. Wait 10 minutes. Don't flush. If color shows up
in the bowl, you've got a leak. Replace the flapper
valve.
• Never use your toilet as a trash can. Flushing trash and
cigarette butts down the toilet wastes gallons
of water-not to mention the damage it does to your
septic system.
• Replace your clothes washer, the second largest water
user in your home. "Energy Star" rated front loading
washing machines can use half the water that a
standard, top loading washer uses. They also spin most
of the water out, so laundry drys quicker, saving you $$
on both water and energy bills. Washing machines use
up to 60 gallons per load, so wash full loads only.
• Run only full dishwasher loads, and save 300 - 800
gallons of water every month! Every load uses
about 15 gallons. If you wash dishes by hand, don't
leave the water running for rinsing.
• Replace regular showerheads with water conserving
showerheads, and save 20 or more gallons for a five-
minute shower! Take shorter showers, and save 5 -10
gallons for every minute you cut back. In fact, take a
short shower instead of a bath, and cut your water
consumption by 2/3.
• Faucets. Use aerators on all faucets. Kitchen faucet
aerators use less than 2.5 gallons per minute. Bathroom
faucet aerators use less than 2 gallons per minute. • Tum
off the water while brushing your teeth and save up to 3
gallons each time. • Don't let the faucet run while you
clean vegetables-rinse them in a sink full of clean water.
• Tum off the water while you're shaving-fill the sink with a
little water and rinse your razor. You can save up to 3
gallons. • Check faucets and pipes for leaks; even a small
drip can waste more than 1500 gallons a month.
• Repair leaks immediately. Many silent leaks allow water-
and your money-to go down the drain.
Studies have shown homes can waste more than 10%
due to leaks, which costs both you and the environment.
• Leaks in an irrigation system can be a huge waste of
water. Fix irrigation system leaks quickly and check for
pooling water or mud puddles. Inspect sprinklers and drip
sprayers regularly for leaks during the day, since the
optimal time to water is at night-when you cannot observe
leaks. If you have an older irrigation system, over 50%
and even more than 75% of the water can be lost to leaks.
• Turn off all water to your home (inside and outside) if you
plan to be away for more than twenty-four
hours. Residents have had undetected leaks which have
incurred thousands of dollars in water bills.
• Never water native (pine and oak) trees. Plant drought
resistant plants that don't require irrigation.
• Landlords: make your renters pay for water-they'll be
motivated to save.
• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator, so you
won't have to run the tap to cool it.
• Use a broom instead of the hose.
• Wash your car in the city - not in Pine Hills!
Post this where everyone in the house will see it as a
reminder to save water!
