WATER SAVING HINTS

GO SLOW ON THE H20
Tuesday July 05, 2011 01:15:26 PM
- Catch the
water that comes from the tap until it gets warm or hot in baths laundry and
kitchen and use on the garden.
- Collect Water While Shower Warms Up: Great
for watering the plants and putting in washing machine. You will be amazed
how much water was previoulsy wasted.
- Defrost foods
in the microwave instead of under running water.
- Don't clean
your teeth with water running.
- Don't discard use
for plants or put in your washing machine.
- Don't let the
water run continuously when you are shaving, brushing your teeth, etc.
- Don't wash
half loads, and if you do, adjust the water level.
- Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket or ashtray. Avoid unnecessary
flushing.
- Find out if
the toilet is leaking by putting a few drops of food
colouring into the toilet tank. If the colour leaks into the bowl, replace the
flapper.
- Get a
showerhead with a "shower off" button to conserve water while you lather up.
- Get in and
out of the shower quickly. A five minute shower takes about 20 gallons.
- Get those
dripping faucets repaired? Usually it's a simple matter of
replacing worn washers. Check all the washers in the house and replace them
all at once.
- Help to pack
out your own children's stockings by making a whole video tape of their
favourite television programs, icing cookies with their initials and making up
little craft boxes containing paper, glue, sticky shapes, oddments of wool for
hair and felt cut into shapes for eyes, mouths, noses etc.
- If you've got a well-water system and the pump comes on when no one is
using water, you have a leak. Install
low-flow showerheads that reduce water use up to half but still give a great
feeling shower.
- If you're
washing dishes in a double sink, wash them all at once and
rinse them all at once.
- Insulate water heater and water pipes. (65% of the water you use is
hot water.)
- Keep drinking
water in the refrigerator to avoid letting water run until it gets cool enough
to drink.
- Make sure the
flapper ball in the tank seats correctly.
- Older
standard washing machines use up to 50 gallons of water per load, newer models
use only 11-30 gallons.
- Pre- soaking
prevents having to re-wash heavily soiled clothes.
- Replace
"sticky" toilet handles.
- Replace an
old, water-inefficient dishwasher. You can save 10 to 20
gallons of water per wash cycle.
- Replace
two-handle systems with single-lever faucets.
- Re-route your
washing machine hoses so that your water drains outside for use in watering
your landscaping.
Install a Furnace temperature regulator, and turn the heat down 10 degrees
while you are sleeping.
- Rinse
vegetables over a large bowl and reuse what would have gone down
the drain to water plants.
- Run full
loads in the washing machine, and use cold water when possible.
- Run only full
loads in the dishwasher.
- Run your
drainage hoses from your washing machine outside, and catch the water to use
for washing your car and watering your plants.
- Select the
water-saving cycle on your dishwasher.
- Always run
your dishwasher with a full load. The dishwasher uses around 12 gallons each
load.
- Shower
instead of bathe.
- Soak dirty
dishes instead of rinsing each dish separately.
- Stop water
leaks immediately. A sink dripping one drop of water per second wastes 60
gallons of water if you let it go a week.
- Take shorter
showers. Five-minute showers per day for a four-member family use about 28,000
gallons of water per year.
- Take a bucket to shower next time and fill with the cold
water as not to waste when hot water comes on. You will be surprised
by how much water was wasted whilst hot water was coming in.
- Take showers
instead of baths. You will save money on your water bill as well as your
energy bill. Use less hot water. Washing your hands can use 2 gallons of hot
water a week. Get in and out of the shower quickly. A five minute shower takes
about 20 gallons. Always run your dishwasher with a full load. The dishwasher
uses around 12 gallons each load. Run full loads in the washing machine, and
use cold water when possible. Run your drainage hoses from your washing
machine outside, and catch the water to use for washing your car and watering
your plants. Stop water leaks immediately. A sink dripping one drop of water
per second wastes 60 gallons of water if you let it go a week.
- Take showers
instead of baths. You will save money on your water bill as well as your
energy bill.
- Think you
might have a leak? Check by reading your water meter before
and after a 2-hour period when water hasn't been run in your home. If the
reading isn't exactly the same, you've got a leak.
- To clean your
iron, sprinkle salt heavily on a piece of fabric. Iron over the salt at high
temp. Make sure you have steam off. Face will shine clean in a few minutes.
- Use the
second load from your washing to water your garden.
- Use empty
soda bottles to store water. You can also use them to water house plants when
you are away. Cut small holes in the bottom, fill with water, and set inside
the plant pots to slowly drip.
- Use less hot
water. Washing your hands can use 2 gallons of hot water a week.
- Using excess
water or having leaks can cost you hundreds of dollars a year
in wasted water. A simple toilet leak can use 50 extra gallons of water a day
and a faucet leak can waste up to 5,000 gallons a year. We've got some tips
for keeping that water bill down.
