Inside Home Water Conservation
Conserving water in your home is easy. Use some common sense approaches, replace inefficient appliances, and save money.
HOME BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs) |
Toilet BMPs
Replace your existing toilet with:
- Low flow toilet (1.6 gallons per flush)*
- Dual flush toilet (0.8 gallons per flush for liquid, 1.6 gallons per flush for solids)*
Make sure your toilet does not have a leaky flap and that the water level is properly adjusted:
- A leaky flap in your toilet can result in the loss of 30 - 500 gallons of water per day
- Water level should be set to one inch below the overflow tube
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Chose Water Wise Farmers and Food
- Agriculture accounts for more than 80 percent of freshwater consumption. Switching to drip irrigation reduces the amount of water used by 30-70 percent while increasing crop yields.
- Seek out and support local farmer's markets. They reduce the amount of pesticides and fungicides used on foods that wind up in our water supplies.
- Eat less meat (Producing a quarter pound hamburger requires at least 100 gallons of water) (It takes 15,000 tons of water to produce a ton of beef, while a ton of grain only requires 1,000 tons).
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Bath BMPs
- Only fill what you need
- Do not send water into overflow drain
- Make sure your plug does not leak
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Faucet BMPs
- Install low flow faucet aerators on all faucets
- Use your water efficiently:
- Turn the water off when brushing your teeth
- Fill the sink with water when you shave or wash your face instead of letting the water run
- Repair faucet leaks
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Shower BMPs
- Install low flow shower head*
- Take shorter showers (no more than five minutes)
- Use a bucket to capture water as it warms
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Dishwasher BMPs
- Purchase an Energy Star dishwasher*
- Wait for a full load
- Use you water level settings
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Hand Dishwashing BMPs
Use your water efficiently:
- Fill your sink with water for rinsing
- Don't run the water without plugging the sink
- Turn faucets off when not in use
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Clothes Washer BMPs
- Purchase an Energy Star clothes washer*
- Do full loads to maximize efficiency
- Pretreat stains
- Use the short cycle on lightly soiled loads
- Select minimal volume setting
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*Your local water supplier may have rebates for installing these devices |