By AJ Danboise
The Earth’s water supply comes from various sources, such as snow, groundwater, and surface water runoff. However, these sources are threatened by overdevelopment and pollution. Only a small portion of the Earth’s water supply is freshwater, and only half is available to humans. The availability of clean water is one of the central issues of our time, and we all need to do our part to use this resource wisely. Here are 12 tips you can start today to save water. Read on to find out how to save water in your bathroom and kitchen!
Simple Tips to Help Save Water
- Turn the water off while brushing your teeth, washing your hands, and washing dishes
- Take shorter showers (you will save water and energy to heat it, reducing your carbon dioxide emissions)
- Get a low-flow showerhead
- Do only full loads of laundry and dishes
- If your washing machine has a setting for the amount of clothing you’re washing (small to extra-large load), choose a low setting—you’ll use less water, and your clothes will get just as clean
- If your dishwasher has the option to run a “full” or “short” cycle, choose the short cycle
- Watering your lawn only in the morning or evening. (Water evaporates four to eight times faster during the day’s heat.)
- If you want to reduce the water needed to maintain your yard, consider xeriscaping—a landscaping technique that uses native, drought-tolerant plants in favor of ever-thirsty grass
- Install a rain barrel to capture rain from your downspout
- Wash your car less often
- Fix all of the leaks in your home
- Avoid bottled water and instead use a reusable water bottle. It takes millions of gallons of water to produce the plastic for single-use water bottles and millions more to purify the water that goes into them
Tip of the Day – Save Gallons Per Flush with a Plastic Bottle!
Put a plastic bottle in your toilet tank. Did you know each time your toilet is flushed, it uses five to seven gallons of water? In five minutes, you can save one or two gallons per flush! A small plastic juice bottle or laundry soap bottle works well. Soak off the label, fill the bottle with water, put on the cap, and place it in the tank. Be careful that the bottle doesn’t interfere with the flushing mechanism.
Saving Water in Your Bathroom
Bathrooms are by far the most water-consuming room in the house, accounting for over half of all indoor usage. Newer models of toilets, showers, and faucets use less water than their older counterparts and still deliver the same level of flush and water pressure. When replacing a bathroom fixture, ensure it has the WaterSense label, which means it meets the EPA’s water-saving standards. An average family can save around 20 percent on water usage by replacing older toilets with newer ones. Try replacing your standard showerhead with a WaterSense one that uses less than 2 gallons per minute. If you have old faucets, you can save a lot of water by replacing them with WaterSense models as well. These can help the average household save around 500 gallons of water annually.
Saving Water in Your Kitchen
One of the most effective ways to conserve water is to be mindful of how much it is running. When you wash your dishes by hand, put some water in the sink with a few drops of soap instead of leaving the water run. Making sure you only run your dishwasher when it’s full can help you save water too! When saving water look to water-efficient appliances, such as your dishwasher. Aerated faucets can also help reduce the amount of water that goes out of the sink. If your water heater is more than 10 years old, it might be time to replace it. Having a regular inspection is also important to ensure that the connections are working properly!
Call 24/7 for Fast Plumbing Service
Do you have a leaky faucet or an old toilet you’d like to replace with a water-saving model? Give AJ Danboise Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical a call today at (248) 477-3626 or contact us online for all of your plumbing needs in Farmington Hills.
