Water Saving Tips

Saving water means saving money on your bill. Here are some tips to reduce your water consumption, lower your bill and help sustain water supplies.

Indoor Tips:

Remember to regularly check for leaks around your home or rental property. According to EPA's WaterSense, household leaks account for nearly 1 TRILLION gallons of wasted water nationwide and 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.

Do not let it drip! Take action now by performing a water audit in your home, or by contacting a plumber to check for leaks. 

1. Check all faucets including outdoor hose spigots for leaks, even a small drip can add up over time if not repaired.
2. Check toilets for silent leaks. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons per day. To detect leaks in the toilet, add 10 drops of food coloring to the tank water. Wait 15 minutes, if the colored water appears in the bowl, the toilet is leaking and will require a repair. 
3. Visit the Alliance for Water Efficiency for videos and links to help detect and repair leaking fixtures.

Replace older fixtures with new water-saving devices.

1. Older toilets use 5 gallons per flush or more.  New high efficiency toilets use 1.6 gallons or even less.
2. Replace shower heads, faucets, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers with items labeled "WaterSense."  Visit the WaterSense website for eligible products and rebates.

Outdoor tips: In the United States, 9 billion gallons of water are used daily for residential outdoor water use, mainly for landscape irrigation. It's estimated that about 50% of this water is wasted, in part due to overwatering.

Luckily, there are several easy ways to save water on the outside of your home.

• Consider planting drought tolerant grasses, or a water saving alternative landscape, such as Xeriscape, which uses little or no water.  Visit EPA's guide to Water Saving Landscapes for more information on drought tolerant plants and grasses that will save water, time and money.

• Make sure your irrigation systems are properly maintained, and checked for leaks.  Installing a water saving irrigation system can reduce annual outdoor water use by nearly 8,800 gallons, equivalent to the amount of water used to take 500 showers!

• Click on WaterSense for all the information on water-saving plants, grasses, and irrigation systems.

Consider these easy changes to your watering habits for saving water outside your home: 

• Water early in the morning or when the sun goes down. 30% of water is lost due to evaporation when watering mid-day.
• Don't water when ground is wet.
• Water infrequently but deeply to promote root growth.
• Use a soaker hose on gardens and flower beds.
• Catch precipitation in a rain barrel and use it to water plants and gardens.
• Mulch around trees and shrubs to reduce evaporation.
• In-ground sprinklers should be equipped with moisture sensors.
• Timers should be used on above-ground sprinklers and soaker hoses.
• Sweep driveways, sidewalks and steps rather than hosing off.
• Wash the car with water from a bucket, or use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
• When using a hose, control the flow with an automatic shut-off nozzle.
• If you have a swimming pool, consider a new water-saving pool filter.
• Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation when pool is not being used.

Additional Resources

EPA's Water Efficiency in the Home

Water Conservation

Local article on planting gardens to save water