6 Simple Water Saving Strategies Around the House

6 Simple Water Saving Strategies Around the House

saving water

Over the past 30 years, the number of U.S. states reporting waterstress has risen from 30 to 45. That means even in traditionally wet states,people are facing water shortage issues. Taking the effort to conserve wateraround the house can save money and help with environmental balance.

  1. By far the most notorious household water waster is thetoilet. Pre-1992 toilets are highly inefficient. Consider installing awater-saving model to reduce water waste by up to 2 gallons per flush. We can’tall afford to just pop in a new toilet. A cheaper option is dropping a coupleof dollars on a tank weight. This keeps the toilet tank level high and reducesthe amount of water flushed.
  2. Showers are another culprit. If your shower can fill aone-gallon bucket in 20 seconds, consider the inexpensive option of installinga water-saving shower head. Then try to trim your showering time – even twominutes less can save 150 gallons of water per month.
  3. Leaky faucets inside and outside waste thousands of gallons annually.If you have a water meter, shut off all water sources and check the meter, thenrecheck an hour later for activity. Of course, checking manually for leaks alsoworks. Hiring a plumber to fix them is a one-time investment for reduced waterbills.
  4. Outside, conditions can get dry without regular watering. Awater catchment system can save water for reuse in the yard rather than relyingon the hose.  Replace your standardgutter downspouts with rain chains that channel the water to rain barrels ateach corner of the house for a decorative water saving system. The water collected can easily irrigate a yard andgarden and save water for use during dry periods.
  5. Sometimes the hose just does the trick. Watering by hand offersthe capability to direct water exactly where you need it, when you need it.Before watering check under the grass with a trowel: if the soil is moist twoinches below the grass, no water is needed.
  6. Longer grass provides shade to keep soil moist, so try aslightly higher mower setting. Likewise, to hold in moisture during daylighthours and add nutrients to your plants, scatter mulch and compost over them.

Being proactive about water use inside and out not only saveswater, it saves money. Saving money by conserving water also helps reduce soilsaturation and untreated sewage flow to storm drains. The environment, and yourpocketbook, will thank you.


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