Summertime can bring rising temperatures leading to higher drought risk. In situations where water is more expensive-- or even limited-- water use should be heavily monitored and reduced in many areas. Simply timing your sprinklers isn’t the only way you can be conserving water!
The average American uses about 62 gallons of water each day. This leaves a lot of room for conservation, especially when you make active efforts to reduce water use in your day-to-day life. Here are a few more ways you can avoid wasting water.
- Fix your faucets. A single dripping faucet can waste anywhere from 1,000- 3,000 gallons of water annually. When a faucet is constantly leaking every minute of the day, it can certainly add up over time. Even if it requires replacing the faucet entirely, your efforts will pay off in the long run!
- Invest in an aerator. Many newer faucets have these built in, but they are a wise investment for older faucets. Aerator’s are simply screwed onto the faucet head and increase water pressure. This means the next time you do the dishes; the water pressure will be stronger, but you’ll be using less water.
- Go Low-Flow. Low-flow showerheads are designed to give you a similar-- if not better-- shower experience while saving water. While many showerheads use 2.5 gallons per minute, low-flow showerheads are designed to use no more than 2 gallons per minute. While this may not seem like much of a difference, it does add up quickly, especially when you have family members who are taking 10-15 minute showers versus the recommended 5 minutes.
- Only wash full loads. Both dishwashers and clothes washers use about the same amount of water, no matter the size of the load. While it may be tempting to get everything done at once, it’s wiser to soak your dishes and save your laundry before tossing them into a full load later.
- Take your car to a car wash. While it may seem more cost-efficient to self-wash your car in the driveway, professional car washes are designed to wash cars quickly and with the least amount of water. This can save you time too.
Conserving water can be a surprisingly easy task once you start building good habits and install water-efficient appliances in your home. If you’re looking to replace your washing machine, dishwashers, water heaters, and toilets; it’s definitely a good idea to invest a little more money into a hyper-efficient appliance.
Sources:
https://energy.gov/energysaver/reduce-hot-water-use-energy-savings
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