| IN
THE BATHROOM… |
| 1. |
Put
a plastic bottle or a plastic bag weighted
with pebbles and filled with water in
your toilet tank. Displacing water in
this manner allows you to use less water
with each flush. Saves 5 to 10 gallons
a day. That's up to 300 gallons a month,
even more for large families. Better
yet, for even greater savings, replace
your water-guzzling five-to-seven-gallon-a-flush
toilet with a three-and-a-half-gallon,
low-flush or one-and-a-half-gallon,
ultra-low-flush model. |
| 2. |
Take
baths instead of showers. A partially
filled tub uses less water than all but
the shortest showers. Saves 15 to 20 gallons
each time. |
| 3. |
If
you're taking a shower, don't waste cold
water while waiting for hot water to reach
the shower head. Catch the water in a
container to use on your outside plants
or to flush your toilet. Saves 200 to
300 gallons a month. |
| 4. |
Check
toilet for leaks. Put dye tablets or food
coloring into the tank. If color appears
in the bowl without flushing, there's
a leak that should be repaired. Saves
400 gallons a month. |
| 5. |
Turn
off the water while brushing your teeth.
Saves three gallons each day. |
| 6. |
Turn
off the water while shaving. Fill the
bottom of the sink with a few inches of
water to rinse your razor. Saves three
gallons each day. |
| 7. |
If
you wash dishes by hand --- and during
a drought that's the best way --- don't
leave the water running for rinsing. If
you have two sinks, fill one with rinse
water. If you only have one sink, use
a spray device or short blast instead
of letting the water run. Saves 200 to
500 gallons a month. |
| 8. |
When
washing dishes by hand, use the least
amount of detergent possible. This minimizes
rinse water needed. Saves 50 to 150 gallons
a month. |
| 9. |
Keep
a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator.
This beats the wasteful habit of running
tap water to cool it for drinking. Saves
200 to 300 gallons a month. |
| 10. |
Don't
defrost frozen foods with running water.
Either plan ahead by placing frozen items
in the refrigerator overnight or defrost
them in the microwave. Saves 50 to 150
gallons a month. |
| 11. |
Don't
let the faucet run while you clean vegetables.
Rinse them in a filled sink or pan. Saves
150 to 150 gallons a month. |
| 12. |
Use
the garbage disposal less and the garbage
can more. Saves 50 to 150 gallons a month. |
| Indoor
savings based on a family of two adults
and one child. |
| AND
OUTSIDE… |
| 13. |
Put
a layer of mulch around trees and plants.
Chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel slows
down evaporation. Saves 750 to 1,500 gallons
a month. |
| 14. |
If
you have a pool, use a pool cover to cut
down on evaporation. It will also keep
your pool cleaner and reduce the need
to add chemicals. Saves 1,000 gallons
a month. |
| WHEN
IT'S WILLING, LET NATURE DO THE JOB! |
| 15. |
Water
during the cool parts of the day. Early
morning is better than dusk since it helps
prevent the growth of fungus. Saves 300
gallons a month. |
| 16. |
Don't
water the lawn on windy days. There's
too much evaporation. Can waste up to
300 gallons each time. |
| 17. |
Cut
down watering on cool and overcast days
and don't water in the rain. Adjust or
deactivate automatic sprinklers. Can save
up to 300 gallons each time. |
| 18. |
Set
lawn mower blades one notch higher. Longer
grass means less evaporation. Saves 500
to 1,500 gallons each month. |
| 19. |
Have
an evaporator air conditioner? Direct
the water drain line to a flower bed,
tree base or lawn. |
| 20. |
If
municipal ordinances don't prohibit it,
drive your car onto a lawn to wash it.
Rinse water can help water the grass. |
| 21. |
Tell
your children not to play with the garden
hose. Saves 10 gallons a minute. |
| 22. |
If
you allow your children to play in the
sprinklers, make sure it's only when you're
watering the yard --- if it's not too
cool at the time of day. |
| 23. |
When
taking your car to a car wash --- and
during a drought that's a particularly
good idea --- be sure it's one of the
many that recycles its wash water. |
| 24. |
If
you're working around the yard, clean
up with waterless hand cleaner rather
than washing under a steady stream of
water. Saves seven to 10 gallons each
time. |
| 25. |
If
you don't want water, turn the empty water
glass upside down in a restaurant. Not
only will you save the water you don't
drink, you'll also save the water used
to wash the glass. Collectively saves
millions of gallons a year. |
| 26. |
And, finally, replace high-water-using
trees and plants with less thirsty ones.
But do this only in non-drought years.
Even drought-resistant plantings take
extra water to get them going. That'll
save 750 to 1,500 gallons a month. |
