Saving Water Inside the Home |
TIPS
Turn off the lights when you are not in the room and cut the air conditioner back when you are not at home. Energy is produced using large volumes of water. Reducing energy demands can reduce the water needed to produce that energy.
In the KITCHEN
- Refrigerate a bottle or glass of water instead of letting a faucet flow until the water runs cold.
- Prepare food efficiently. Speed cleaning food by using a vegetable brush. Spray water in short bursts. Faucet aerators cut consumption.
- Defrost sensibly. Plan ahead to defrost foods overnight in the refrigerator. Don’t use running water. Use the microwave or put wrapped food in a bowl of cold water.
- Reduce dishwashing. Use rubber spatula to scrape dishes clean to limit pre-rinse. Let really dirty pans or dishes soak to speed washing. Most newer dishwashers don't require pre-rinsing. Limit dishwasher use to full loads.
- Reuse clean household water. Collect all the water that is wasted while waiting for the hot water to reach your faucet or showerhead. Use this to water your houseplants or outdoor planters. Do the same with water that is used to boil eggs or steam vegetables.
- Garbage disposal alternatives. Avoid using your garbage disposal. Compost leftovers fruits and vegetables.
In the BATHROOM
- Don’t use the toilet as a trash can. Every flush you eliminate can save between two and seven gallons of water.
- Use a glass for rinse water when brushing teeth instead of letting the faucet run. Shave the same way. An electric razor also saves water.
- Fix leaking faucets and toilets. Research has shown that an average of 8% (or more) of all home water use is wasted through leaks. Test for a leaking toilet by lifting the lid off the toilet tank and putting a few drops of food coloring into the bowl. Wait a few minutes, then look in the bowl. If the food coloring has made its way there, you have a leak.
- Install a low-flow toilet. Low-flow toilets need only 1.6 gallons per flush, saving thousands of gallons per year. Unlike earlier models, low flow toilets available today receive high marks from consumers for overall performance.
- Conserve water in the tub. Take showers instead of a bath and save 30 gallons. Filling the bathtub uses about 50 gallons of water. Try filling it just half way.
- Shorten your shower by one minute. Cut back on your shower time and you will rack up big savings in water and energy. If you really want to try and save water, limit your shower time to five minutes or less. Also, install a water-saving showerhead that uses two-and-a-half gallons per minute. Information compiled by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (www.gaepd.org) and collected from UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Science (www.caes.uga.edu), the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force (www.mass.gov/dep/water), and EPA WaterSense Program (www.epa.gov/watersense)
In the LAUNDRY
- Wash only full loads of laundry. You'll not only save water, but energy as well.
- Consider purchasing a new water- and energy- efficient clothes washer. Look for the Energy Star labeled products and save more water in one year than a person drinks in a lifetime. These units create less wear and tear on clothes, clean better, and use less detergent. Some electric utilities offer rebates for qualified models. See www.energystar.gov for more information.
For more tips on indoor conservation and on outdoor water use,
visit www.ConserveWaterGeorgia.net
For more information about the drought and the current drought response,
visit www.gaepd.org |
|
 |
|
