Water Conservation

It's simple. Just paying attention to your water use habits can save this precious resource and money at the same time.

In the Bathroom:

• Your toilet is the biggest water user in the house. It sends 1.6 to 5 gallons down the drain per flush. Think about water waste before flushing tissues or spiders away.
• Your shower uses 2.5 gallons per minute. A ten-minute shower uses 25 gallons. Think about the water wasted if you are using extra shower time to wake up or warm up or practice a new song.
• Your bathtub uses as much water as you choose. Think about closing the tub drain before turning on the water and then filling the tub only half way.
• Your sink faucet uses about 2.5 gallons per minute. You should turn it off while brushing your teeth or shaving.

In the Kitchen:

• At the sink, think about filling a basin for washing vegetables with a brush or washing and rinsing dishes instead of letting the water run on.
• At the garbage disposal, think about using it as little as possible. Organic refuse should be composted or bagged for garbage pickup rather than sent to the sewage treatment plant.
• At the dishwasher, plan to run it only when full.

In the Laundry:

• At the washing machine, adjust the water setting to match the amount of clothes being washed.

Think about water leaks anywhere and report them to whoever is responsible for the building you live in or may be visiting. Leaking toilets and faucets waste water 24 hours a day and never fix themselves. The cost of not fixing a water leak will eventually be greater than the cost of the plumbing repair.  For more information, please read the two-page flyer entitled "Water Conservation Starts by Fixing Leaks".