Water Conservation Tips

SAVE WATER IN THE BATHROOM

1. Check your toilet for leaks. Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If the coloring appears in the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a wasteful leak that should be repaired at once. The rubber flapper valve should be changed annually as preventative maintenance.

2. Do not use your toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket.

3. Take shorter showers. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down and rinse off.

4. Install water saving shower heads or flow restrictors. Your hardware store or plumbing supply store stocks inexpensive shower heads and flow restrictors that are easy to install and still give you cleansing, refreshing showers. Restrictors cost very little and save a lot.

5. Take baths. A partially filled tub uses less water than all but the shortest showers.

6. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Before brushing, wet your brush and fill a glass for rinsing your mouth.

7. Turn off the water while shaving. Fill the bottom of the sink with a few inches of water in which to rinse your razor.

8. Check faucets and pipes for leaks. Have leaks repaired promptly.

SAVE WATER IN THE KITCHEN AND LAUNDRY

1. Use your automatic dishwasher only for full loads.

2. Use your automatic washing machine only for full loads.

3. Do not let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Instead, rinse them in a sinkful of clean water.

4. Keep drinking water in the refrigerator. This beats the wasteful habit of running tap water to cool it for drinking.

5. If you wash dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing. Gather your washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse with a spray device or pan of water.

6. Check faucets and pipes for leaks. Have leaks repaired promptly.

SAVE WATER OUTSIDE YOUR HOME

1. Water your lawn only when it needs it. Step on the grass. If it springs up when you remove your foot, it doesn't need water.

2. Deep-water your lawn. When you do water your lawn, water it just long enough for water to seep down to the roots where it is needed. A light sprinkling that sits on the surface will evaporate quickly and be wasted.

3. Don't water the pavement. Position sprinklers so that water lands on your lawn or garden, not on concrete or paved areas. Also avoid watering on windy or rainy days.

4. Water during the cool parts of the day. Early morning is better than dusk since it helps prevent the growth of fungus.

5. Plant trees and plants that require less water. Many beautiful varieties of trees and plants require little water.

6. Don't run the hose while washing your car. Soap down your car from a pail of soapy water. Use your hose only to rinse it off.

7. Tell your children not to play with the hose and sprinklers.

8. Check outside faucets and pipes for leaks. Have leaks repaired promptly.