Would you be interested in lowering your water bill? The following water conservation tips are very easy to adjust to and will help you lower your water bill. They will also help very much during the peak water demand periods to keep the reserve supply up.

In the Bathroom:

• Use the toilet only for its intended purpose, not for the disposal of tissues or trash.
  • Be alert for leaky taps or toilets and repair immediately. A slow drip wastes 15 to 20 gallons of water per day. Often only a washer is needed to stop a drip.
  • When installing a new toilet, consider a low-capacity model. They’re usually less expensive and cut down significantly on the amount of water used.
  • Take shorter showers. Showers require less water than tub baths. Every inch in the tub equals approximately five (5) gallons.
  • Up to five gallons per minute goes straight down the drain when taps are left running to shave or brush teeth. Turn on the taps only when needed.

In the Kitchen:

• When washing dishes by hand, fill a basin or stopper a sink for rinsing rather than running the tap.
• Automatic dishwashers use 12 to 25 gallons for each full cycle, so avoid using the “rinse only” cycle and washing small loads.
  • Avoid running the tap for a glass of water. Put a bottle or pitcher in the refrigerator.
  • Never pour grease or oil into a drain. It requires too much water to rinse it down and may clog the drain. Store grease or oil in a container.
  • Since washing machines require 40 gallons or more, save water by washing only full loads.

Outdoors:

• Use buckets and tubs to wash your car or the dog, rather than continuously running a hose.
• Water lawns and gardens only when needed and only during the early morning or evening when evaporation is lower.
  • A garden hose will dispense up to 600 gallons in two hours. A nozzle will act as a flow restrictor and reduce water use significantly.
  • Cutting grass at a two to three-inch height instead of cropping it closely will reduce the amount of water needed.
  • Sweep sidewalks and driveways instead of watering them down with a hose.
  • Re-use as much water as possible.
  • If lawn watering is scheduled, let youngsters play in the hose spray or sprinkler in a grassy area instead of filling a wading pool.

Water Use Habits: