Water-wise around the house

The U.S. population nearly doubled between 1950 and 2000; however, the demand for water during that period more than tripled. Americans now use an average of 100 gallons of water every day, enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses.¹

With increased demand comes increased prices, not to mention the threat to our water reserves and environment. The Chesapeake Bay Program estimates that only 4 of those 100 gallons are actually necessary.

Here are a few easy and effective ways to cut back on your water bills and protect this precious resource.

Indoor

General leaks
Save on water and home repairs.  A dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons of water a day, so it pays to tighten the seals with a wrench or replace worn hardware.²

Even tiny drips that often go unnoticed can add up fast, and it’s a good idea to conduct a leak check twice a year.

It’s easy:

1. Turn off all water inside and outside.
2. Read your meter.
3. Mark where the sweep hand (straight reading meter) or ‘ONE FOOT’ hand (round reading meter) is on your meter.
4. Wait 15 to 20 minutes and see if the hand has moved.
5. If the hand has moved, you probably have a leak.

Toilet leaks
Toilet leaks waste as much as five gallons per minute and can cost up to $100 per month. The most common toilet leak is often difficult to detect and is caused by a worn or defective flush valve (flapper) ball found at the bottom of the tank.

If the ball valve does not sit properly and form a watertight seal, water leaks into the bowl. This occurs without being heard.

To test for this leak:

1. Remove the tank lid and flush.
2. Allow the flapper/tank ball to drop and the tank to refill.
3. Add several drops of dark food coloring.
4. Wait at least 20 minutes.
5. If any trace of color appears in the bowl, there is a leak.

A new flush valve costs only a few dollars at a hardware store and is easy to install yourself.

Low-flow products

• Replace older fixtures with WaterSense faucets, which can reduce water flow by at least 30 percent without affecting performance.
• Install low-flow aerators on faucets. Low-flow models that cut flow to one gallon per minute and reduce faucet water usage by almost 60 percent can cost as little as $3 to $5.
• Low-flow showerheads are more efficient and some have a pause button,³ which makes it easy to turn off the shower after soaping up and back on to rinse.
• Inefficient toilets are responsible for most water wasted in the home. Replacing older toilets with WaterSense fixtures could save nearly 2 billion gallons per day across the U.S.
• Install a Toilet Tank Bank ($1.75). Fill this innovative device, snap it shut, and hang it in the reservoir to save almost a full gallon of water per flush.

Lawn and garden

• Use a hose with a shut off nozzle to water your lawn and outdoor plants. Water in early morning or evening hours to reduce evaporation.
• Avoid watering the lawn on windy days, which can waste up to 300 gallons of water per watering.
• Search the Internet or contact local nursery or landscape professionals to help choose plants with low water requirements. Use boulders and rocks to enhance your landscape.
• Save 750 to 1,500 gallons of water a month by mulching around plants and trees. A layer of bark, gravel, or peat moss will help retain moisture in the soil.
• Longer grass means less evaporation. Adjust lawn mower blades just one notch higher to save 500 to 1,500 gallons per month.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks and driveways.

Marie Oser is a best-selling author, writer/producer and host of VegTV, Follow Marie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vegtv

Sources:

1. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2008
2. Chesapeake Bay Program and Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. 1993. Baybook: A Guide to Reducing Water Pollution at Home. Chesapeake Bay Program, Annapolis, MD, and Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore, MD.
3. http://www.epa.gov/WaterSense/pubs/ws_bathroom_faucets.htm

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