| Every day, Americans waste millions of gallons of | | | | gallons of water. Simply put, the shorter the shower, |
| water in their homes - from running faucets to | | | | the less water you will use! |
| half-full washing machines. In fact, the American | | | | 6. Think Before You Flush - Avoid using the toilet as |
| Water Works Association states daily indoor per | | | | an ashtray or wastebasket. Flushes on older, |
| capita water use is a staggering 69.3 gallons. Whether | | | | conventional toilets can use more than five gallons of |
| your motivation is to diminish your environmental | | | | water per flush so you should only flush when |
| footprint and save precious resources or simply | | | | absolutely needed. |
| reduce your water bill, here are ten ways to practice | | | | 7. Run Appliances Only When Full - For maximum |
| effective water conservation in your home. | | | | water conservation, don't run your washing machine |
| | | | or dishwasher until it is completely full. If you must |
| 1. Check for Leaks - Periodically check for leaks in | | | | run the washing machine half-full, then adjust the |
| faucets and pipes. Even a small leak from a worn, old | | | | water settings accordingly. |
| faucet can waste up to 20 gallons a day and large | | | | 8. Check the Water Meter for Leaks - Check the |
| leaks can waste far more. | | | | reading on your water meter and then a few hours |
| 2. Insulate Water Pipes - Pre-slit foam pipe covers | | | | after heavy water use in the house, check it again. If |
| (found at most home improvement stores) are an | | | | the meter does not read the same, then there is a |
| inexpensive and easy way to insulate your water | | | | leak. |
| pipes. Doing so allows water to heat faster, so you'll | | | | 9. Think Low Flow - Trade out your outdated |
| waste less water waiting for it to get hot. | | | | faucets and appliances for new, low-flow, more |
| 3. Don't Leave the Water Leaving - Whether you are | | | | efficient models. For example, there are a wide range |
| brushing your teeth or washing the dishes, don't | | | | of low-flow faucets and toilets (like Toto toilets ) |
| leave the faucet running; turn the water on only | | | | designed to use less than half the water used by |
| when you need to use it. | | | | conventional ones. |
| 4. Keep Drinking Water in the Fridge - Waiting for the | | | | 10. Install Low-Flow Aerator - If new faucets are not |
| tap water to turn cold is also wasteful so keep a | | | | in your budget, opt for low-flow aerators, which can |
| pitcher or bottle of cold drinking water in the fridge. | | | | easily be installed on your existing faucets and |
| 5. Take Shorter Showers - A five minute shower is | | | | dramatically reduce water usage without sacrificing |
| estimated to use anywhere between 20 and 40 | | | | performance. |