Water Conservation Tips for Home

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American family of four uses 400 gallons of water each day. About 70 percent of that water is used inside the home, according to the EPA.

If you thought that most of that water was used when you did laundry or the dishes, guess again – it’s being used in the bathroom and the toilet alone uses nearly 30 percent!

Since we care about the Earth and your pocket, here are some ways to save money while conserving water at the same time.

Tips for Saving Water

Fact: Newer toilets use about 1.6 gallons of water for each flush, but the older models can use up to 7 gallons per flush.

Tip: Replace an older model with a new one that comes with a WaterSense label. These only use 1.28 gallons of water every time you flush, so they reduce the amount of water that a household uses for toilets by up to 60 percent.

Fact: A standard showerhead can use as much as 2.5 gallons of water for every minute.

Tip: Replace standard showerheads with models with a WaterSense label. According to the EPA, if you replace just one showerhead in your home, you can save as much as 2,900 gallons of water.

Fact: On average, a bathroom faucet uses 2 gallons of water per minute.

Tip: Replace an older faucet with a WaterSense labeled model.

Tip: When you shave or brush your teeth, turn off the water. This simple measure can save as much as 200 gallons of water each month.

More Water-Saving Tips

Aside from the bathroom, there are many other ways to save water inside the home. Here are some great ways to conserve water, some of which you may not have thought of before.

• Replace a traditional washing machine that uses up to 54 gallons of water per load with a high-efficiency model, which uses less than 27 gallons per load.
• Instead of letting the water run while you wash dishes, fill up the sink with water. This can save as much as 20 gallons of water each time you do dishes.
• If you drink tap water, keep a pitcher of cold water in the refrigerator instead of waiting for the water to get cold (especially in the summer).
• If you refrain from rinsing dishes before loading the dishwasher, it can save up to 10 gallons of water each time you run a load.

Looking for more ways to conserve water around the home? Contact Excalibur Plumbing to learn how you can save more water and energy in your home!