Indoor Water Conservation

10 Effective Ways to Save Water Indoors Today

Here are ten actionable steps you can take to start saving water in your home:

1. Upgrade Your Toilet: Replacing an older toilet with a high-efficiency model, labeled with WaterSense, can drastically reduce your water usage. Older toilets use up to four times more water per flush!
2. Check for and Repair Water Leaks: Regularly checking and fixing even minor leaks can prevent wasting hundreds to thousands of gallons of water per month.
3. Shorten Your Shower Time: Reducing your shower time by even one minute can save up to 2.5 gallons of water.
4. Install a Faucet Aerator: A faucet aerator reduces water flow while maintaining pressure, potentially saving up to 1 gallon per minute.
5. Choose Energy Star-Approved Appliances: When purchasing a new washer, choose an Energy Star-approved model. These washers use 15-20 fewer gallons of water per load, and also save energy.
6. Install a High Efficiency Showerhead: This could save an about 1 gallon of water per minute.
7. Locate Your Master Shutoff Valve: Knowing where this is can save water and prevent home damage.
8. Run Full Loads: Dishwashers use roughly the same energy and water regardless of load size. Always run full loads to conserve water.
9. Turn off the Faucet When Not Rinsing: When washing dishes by hand, only turn on the faucet to rinse, saving about 2.5 gallons per minute.
10. Scrape Instead of Pre-rinsing Dishes: Scrape food off your dishes instead of pre-rinsing them. This can save up to 20 gallons of water, as modern dishwashers and detergents are designed to handle the cleaning without pre-rinsing.

Focus on Your Bathroom

Bathrooms are often the largest source of water usage in homes. Here are some actions you can take:

• Switch to WaterSense-Labeled Fixtures: Change your bathroom faucet aerator and showerhead to models labeled with WaterSense. These use 20% less water without compromising performance.
• Check Your Toilet for Leaks and Retrofit Older Models: Regularly checking your toilet for leaks and retrofitting older models can significantly reduce water usage.

Expand Your Efforts Beyond the Bathroom

After making the initial changes in your bathroom, look for other ways to save water throughout your home:

• Check for Leaks: Identify and fix any water leaks, as even small leaks can waste a significant amount of water.
• Upgrade Your Appliances: Consider upgrading your toilet, clothes washer, or dishwasher to more water-efficient models. Many energy and water providers offer rebates for customers who install these appliances.