How To Save Water and Reduce Your Water Bill
You can’t do much about your taxes, mortgage, insurance or phone bill but you can cut your electricity and water bills by using less. You water bill is typically the smaller of the two bills, depending on what type of yard you have but you can still do some things to reduce it.
Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping, often mistakenly called zero scaping, refers to using native and other plants that use less water than traditional landscape plants. Consider planting low water use shrubs and trees that are right for your area. You can consult your county extension agent or local nursery to find out what plants use less whater in your area. In the Southwest, examples of xeriscape plants include buffalo grass, cenizo, mesquite, lantana, mountain laurel and many others.
Use Water Timers
If you must water your lawn, consider using a water timer to turn your sprinkler on late at nigh or in the early morning. This way the water goes down into the soil where it is needed instead of evaporating up in the air due to sunlight. Water timers can be purchased for as little as ten dollars in discount stores like Wal Mart.
Use A Low Flush Conversion Kit.
You can buy low flush conversion kits for almost any 1.6 gallon flush toilet. What these do is convert the toilet to dual flush. You will have two lever positions or button settings to choose from. One will only use .8 gallons for small flushes while the other gives you the full flush. You can find out more about how to install a dual flush conversion kit here: How to Install a Dual Flush Retrofit Kit.
Use Rain Barrels
Rain barrels are another excellent way to conserve water. You can save about twenty dollars a year by using rain barrel water instead of city water for plants. You’ll save even more if you use electricity to pump water. Rain barrels are now available at most large home improvement stores. You can buy kits that combine several rain barrels together for even more storate. For a larger quantity of “free” water, consider adding a cistern or tank in the backyard that collects rainfall from your gutters. A large cistern may supply all the water you need for your yard and garden.
Use Water Efficient Appliances and Fixtures
Change your shower heads and faucets to low flow fixtures. A low flow shower head will use about half of the water as a normal one and since air is injected into the water stream you will not notice any loss of pressure. When upgrading your appliances, choose ones that use less water. Front loading washing machines typically use much less water than top loading models.
