Quick start guide to conserving water at home

Every time you leave your faucet running you may as well be pouring money down it.  Start saving money by lowering you water, sewer and electric bills.  Every year I save about $100 or 20-25% on my water and sewer bills by following these steps. 25-60% of your households water use is in the bathroom.  Replace you old toilet with a new model that saves 6 gallons a flush.  Canít afford a remodel put a one-gallon plastic milk container filled with water in the tank and save about a gallon a flush.  Replace old shower head with low flow or navy shower heads.  Take short showers instead of baths.  You could save 48 gallons every time you get clean. Change your faucets throughout the house to low flow models of ones with levers that stop the flow. Save water for other uses.  When letting the shower heat up catch the water and use if for other things like watering the plants of washing the floors.  You can also use a dishpan to save water in the sink, use it to soak pots or the next lot of dishes. Using a dishwasher?  The U.S. Geological Survey stated that a dishwasher uses 20 gallons every time you run it.  So always make sure itís full be for you wash and run it on the short cycle. Laundry never ends, do the same as your dishwasher and make sure every load is full and use the short cycle.  If you have a laundry tub and the space install a ìgray waterî saver and save the water for re-use. About 50% of the water we use goes to outdoor uses.  Remember to water early and only for a short amount of time, grass only needs about an inch of water weekly.  Plant native and drought tolerant trees that require less water. To save even more put down a good layer mulch to keep water from evaporating quickly.  Try a soaker house that sends water directly into the soil instead of the side walk. How often do we see a hose running while someoneís washing their car?  Fill a bucket with soap and water and clean your car in sections, turning the hose on and off to rinse each section. Do you have a pool or hot tub?  Remember not to overfill them and keep them covered so water doesnít evaporate when not in use. Got a leak?  Get it fixed asap.  A leaky can waste 260 gallons of water a month, anywhere between $12 a year or $150 if you have a big leak.  Thereís no need to pick up a leak test kit, just put some food coloring in your toilet tank  and check it later to see if the water in the toilet has changed color. (donít fluch while your waiting) You can find information on doing plumbing repairs at your local library of on the web. Try the following sites www.doityourself.com or www.hometips.com. Some states offer free water-saving equipment to those who qualify for energy assistance.  Check with you weatherization program. Don’t waste any more water or money. Get started!!!