It’s simple – saving water means more than just saving water. It’s an easy way to save money as well. Drought season may be over, but without continued water conservation efforts the drought could come back like bad acne that you can’t get rid of.
There are many ways to save water that doesn’t have to be daunting or over-the-top. Here are 5 easy ways to save water and reduce water usage today.
1. Check for Leaks
According to the EPA, leaks can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water every year in an average household. Checking for leaks can be an easy fix with tools and hardware that can help save money on water bills. Check for leaks in the most common offenders: toilets, faucets, showerheads, and outdoor faucets.
2. Don’t Run and Waste
Every drop counts so turn off the tap. Whether you’re brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing the dishes – don’t let the water run. Turning off the water while brushing your teeth can save up to 8 gallons of water per day!
3. Reuse and Recycle
As strange as this sounds, reusing water can be a very effective way of conserving water. When waiting for a shower to heat up, collect the cold water to reuse elsewhere – like watering your plants. Also consider using leftover water from cooking and boiling.
4. Replace Showerheads and Aerators
A very simple way to reduce water usage is to replace showerheads and aerators. Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute while a low-flow showerhead uses 2.0 GPM or less. Changing to a low-flow showerhead that is WaterSense labeled, like our Earth 1.25 GPM showerhead, can save up to 2,900 gallons per year. Faucets account for 19% of water usage in an average home so changing your faucet aerator to a WaterSense labeled can save an average family up to 700 gallons of water per year.
5. Rethink Your Old Inefficient Toilets
Replacing a toilet isn’t as easy as replacing a showerhead, but it is one of the fastest ways of seeing a big difference in water usage. Toilets are THE main source of water usage inside a home. They account for nearly 30 percent of indoor water use – more if you have a leaking flapper. Federal standards for toilets are 1.6 gallons per flush but with technology advancements there are toilets that use HALF of that amount. Switching to a high-efficient toilet that is WaterSense labeled is a great start but you can take water conservation to the next level with an ultra-high-efficiency MaP Premium rated toilet, like our Niagara Stealth toilet that uses only 0.8 GPF. Switching to a high-efficient toilet can help a household save up to 13,000 gallons of water every year.