Looking for ways to help conserve water? Consider these simple tips and suggestions.

Bathroom

1. Take a shower instead of filling the tub and taking a bath. Showers usually use less water than tub baths.
2. Install a low-flow shower head which restricts the quantity of flow at 60 psi to no more than 3.0 gallons per minute.
3. Take short showers and install a cutoff valve or turn the water off while soaping and back on again only to rinse.
4. Do not use hot water when cold will do. Water and energy can be saved by washing hands with soap and cold water; hot water should only be added when hands are especially dirty.
5. Reduce the level of the water being used in a bath tub by one or two inches if a shower is not available.
6. Turn water off when brushing teeth until it is time to rinse.
7. Do not let water run when washing hands. Instead, hands should be wet, and water should be turned off while soaping and scrubbing and turned on again to rinse. A cutoff valve may also be installed on the faucet.
8. Shampoo hair in the shower. Shampooing in the shower takes only a little more water than is used to shampoo hair during a bath and much less than shampooing and bathing separately.
9. Hold hot water in the basin when shaving instead of letting the faucet continue to run.
10. Test toilets for leaks. To test for a leak, a few drops of food coloring can be added to the water in the tank. The toilet should not be flushed. The customer can then watch to see if the coloring appears in the bowl within a few minutes. If it does, the fixture needs adjustment or repair.
11. Use a toilet tank displacement device. A one-gallon plastic milk bottle can be filled with stones or with water, recapped, and placed in the toilet tank. This will reduce the amount of water in the tank but still provide enough for flushing. (Bricks, which some people use for this purpose, are not recommended, since they crumble eventually and could damage the working mechanism.) Displacement devices should never be used with new low-volume flush toilets.
12. Install faucet aerators to reduce water consumption.
13. Never use the toilet to dispose of cleaning tissues, cigarette butts, or other trash. This can waste a great deal of water and also places an unnecessary load on the wastewater treatment plant.
14. Install a new low-volume toilet that uses 1.6 gallons or less per flush when building a new home or remodeling a bathroom.

Kitchen

1. Use a pan of water (or place a stopper in the sink) for rinsing pots and pans and cooking implements when cooking rather than turning on the water faucet each time a rinse is needed.
2. Never run the dishwasher without a full load. In addition to saving water, expensive detergent will last longer and a significant energy saving will appear on the utility bill.
3. Use the sink disposal sparingly, and never use it for just a few scraps.
4. Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running water from the tap until it is cool is wasteful. Better still, both water and energy can be saved by keeping cold water in a picnic jug on a kitchen counter to avoid opening the refrigerator door frequently.
5. Use a small pan of cold water when cleaning vegetables rather than letting the faucet run.
6. Use only a little water in the pot and put a lid on it for cooking most food. Not only does this method save water, but food is more nutritious since vitamins and minerals are not poured down the drain with the extra cooking water.
7. Use a pan of water for rinsing when hand washing dishes rather than running the faucet.
8. Always keep water conservation in mind, and think of other ways to save in the kitchen. Small kitchen savings from not making too much coffee or letting ice cubes melt in a sink can add up over a year’s time.

Laundry

1. Wash only a full load when using an automatic washing machine (32 to 59 gallons are required per load).
2. Use the lowest water level setting on the washing machine for light loads whenever possible.
3. Use cold water as often as possible to save energy and to conserve the hot water for uses which cold water cannot serve. (This is also better for clothing made of today’s synthetic fabrics.)

Appliances and Plumbing

1. Check water requirements of various models and brands when considering purchasing any new appliance that uses water. Some use less water than others.
2. Check all water connections and faucets for leaks. A slow drip can waste as much as 170 gallons of water EACH DAY, and can add as much as $10.00 per month to the water bill.
3. Learn to replace washers so that drips can be corrected promptly. It is easy to do, costs very little, and can represent a substantial amount saved in plumbing and water bills.
4. Check for water leakage you may be unaware of, such as a leak between the water meter and the house. To check, all indoor and outdoor faucets should be turned off, and the water meter should be checked. It it continues to run or turn, a leak probably exists and needs to be located.
5. Insulate all hot water pipes to avoid the delays (and wasted water) experienced while waiting for the water to turn hot.
6. Be sure the hot water heater thermostat is not set too high. Extremely hot settings waste water and energy because the water often has to be cooled with cold water before it can be used.
7. Use a moisture meter to determine when house plants need water. More plants die from over-watering than from being on the dry side.

Outdoor Use

1. Water lawns between the hours of 8:00 pm to 6:00 am during the hotter summer months. Much of the water used on the lawn can simply evaporate between the sprinkler and the grass.
2. Use a sprinkler that produces large drops of water, rather than a fine mist, to avoid evaporation.
3. Turn soaker hoses so the holes are on the bottom to avoid evaporation.
4. Water slowly for better absorption, and never water in high winds.
5. Forget about watering the streets, walks, and driveways. They will never grow a thing.
6. Condition the soil with compost before planting grass or flower beds so that water will soak in rather than run off.
7. Fertilize lawns at least twice a year for root stimulation. Grass with a good root system makes better use of less water.
8. Learn to know when grass needs watering. If it has turned a dull gray- green or if footprints remain visible, it is time to water.
9. Do not water too frequently. Too much water can overload the soil so that air cannot get to the roots and can encourage plant diseases.
10. Do not over-water. Soil can absorb only so much moisture and the rest simply runs off. A timer will help, and either a kitchen timer or an alarm clock will do. An inch and one-half of water applied one a week will keep most Texas grasses alive and healthy.
11. Operate automatic sprinkler systems only when the demand on the town’s water supply is lowest. Set the system to operate between four and six am.
12. Do not scalp lawns when mowing during hot weather. Taller grass holds moisture better. Rather, grass should be cut fairly often, so that only 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch is trimmed off. A better looking lawn will result.
13. Use a watering can or hand water with the hose in small areas of the lawn that need more frequent watering (those near walks or driveways or in especially hot, sunny spots).
14. Learn what types of grass, shrubbery, and plants do best in the area and in which parts of the lawn, and then plant accordingly. If one has a heavily shaded yard, no amount of water will make roses bloom. In especially dry sections of the state, attractive arrangements of plants that are adapted to arid or semi-arid climates should be chosen.
15. Consider decorating areas of the lawn with rocks, gravel, wood chips, or other materials now available that require no water at all.
16. Do not “sweep” walks and driveways with the hose. Use a broom or rake instead.
17. Use a bucket of soapy water and use the hose only for rinsing when washing the car.

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