Best Ways to Conserve Water

Water conservation is a rapidly growing issue in cities all across the country. With water shortages to increase in the next few years, it's important to do your part and contribute to a more efficient and sustainable lifestyle for future generations. Not only that, you'll be able to reduce your water bill and save money in the process.

Regulate Your Sprinklers

According to the EPA, the average American home devotes up to 30% of its water for outdoor irrigation, and up to 50% of this water goes to waste due to evaporation or runoff from excessive watering. Using a drip irrigation system is much more efficient than conventional sprinklers and can greatly reduce your water usage and energy bill. You can also consider a product such as Cyber-Rain, which acts a brain to your sprinkling system. It regulates your water usage by connecting to your PC and automatically adjusting your watering schedule based on weather and seasonal conditions. Water is turned off when it's raining, turned on a bit longer when it's hotter outside, etc. The software charts out your water savings by the week and year-to-date, and the system can end up reducing the amount you spend on your landscaping water bill by 30-70%.

Install Faucet Aerators

A faucet aerator is installed on an indoor water faucet to turn the water stream into many little droplets, which helps to conserve water. Many homes already have them installed, but check to see if the rating on the side of the aerator is above 2.75 gallons per minute (GPM). If it's any higher, change it out to a low-flow aerator that's more efficient. A new aerator costs around about $2-$6 and pay for itself in months.
 

Install Low-Flow Shower Heads

Aside from taking shorter showers (and skipping the bath), installing a low-flow shower head can save hundreds of dollars on water costs by simply changing hardware. Most low-flow shower heads are classified when they output 0.5-2.5 gallons a minute. There are some downsides in such as increased noise (due to PSI) or slight temperature changes as it mixes in with cooler air, but neither of those disadvantages outweigh the advantages of conserving water and saving money. A good choice is the Oxygenics SkinCare Showerhead, available for around $20. It provides great power but also uses a lot less water than conventional showerheads. At the end of the day, it's best to experiment to see which low-flow showerhead works best for you and your home, so be sure to check if your hardware store will let you return used equipment. For a complete list of recommended shower heads, check out our list of the Best Adjustable Shower Heads.

Stop Leaks

The EPA estimates that the average home loses 10,000 gallons of water every year – enough to fill a backyard swimming pool! Another 10 percent of homes have leaks that amount to 90 gallons or more per day. The most common type of leaks found in homes include dripping faucets, leaking valves, and toilet flappers, all of which which are  easily correctable with the right tools and know how. Check out the EPA website to see some quick tips on how to detect leaks in your system.
 

Check for a leaky toilet

Checking for a leaky toilet might be simpler than you know. If your toilet is leaking water, you might not be able to tell by simply looking at it to see if there's any movement. One sure way to check is by adding food coloring and dropping a few drops of dye into the tank to see if any of that escapes into the bowl. Look for the dye near the lip of the bowl and also at the bottom if there's a jet. Give the dye about 15 minutes to circulate before you confirm the status of your toilet.

Replace the Toilet

If your toilet is more than 10 years old, it's time to consider replacing it with a more efficient model. According to the EPA, toilets today account for over 30 percent of residential indoor water consumption and are a major source of leaks and/or inefficiency in homes today. Look for WaterSense labeled toilets, which use 20 percent less water and exceed federal mandates in water restriction but still provide equal or superior flushing power than traditional models. When switching to a WaterSense toilet, you can save over 4,000 gallons.
 

Only Wash Full Loads

Group your dirty laundry together and use a full load when washing. Most washing machines today are still going to use the same amount of water per load even if it's a full or half load.

Buy Energy Star Rated Appliances

Energy Star was created by the United States to build an international standard for energy reduction ranging from 20%-30% less than federal requirements. Buying Energy Rated rated equipment not only helps you conserve energy (and water in some instances), but saves money as well. For example, a regular washer will use 40 gallons of water to wash clothes while an energy star washer will use 18-25 gallons. Remember that this applies not only to large kitchen appliances, but consumer electronics as well, such as HDTVs.