WATER CONSERVATION

Everyone wastes water; some waste quite a bit more than others, but we all have room for improvement. The road to minimized water waste starts with developing a waste-conscious mind. Once you recognize areas of water waste, find a simple, cost-effective solution to eliminate excessive use. Here are 11 tips to get started saving water at home:

1. Use Water Meter to Find Leaks 
Simply set a two-hour period when no water will be used at your house. Read the meter before the period and if the meter reads differently after, water is leaking somewhere!

2. Use Food Coloring to Find Toilet Leaks 
Drop some food coloring in the tank on the back of your toilet. If water is constantly running from the tank to toilet (leaking) then you will see some color seeping into the bowl within a half-hour. Leaks such as this should be repaired immediately.

3. Keep Trash Out of Your Toilet 
Every time you toss a bit of trash in your toilet and flush, you waste five to seven gallons of water. Every time you place that same bit of trash in a trash can, you waste zero gallons of water.

4. Install Low-Flow Toilets
If you’re installing a new toilet, consider buying low-flow toilets, which use 1 to 2 gallons per flush instead of the typical 3 to 5 gallons.

If you already own a toilet that uses 5 to 7 gallons per flush and have no intention to replace it, you can still minimize water waste. Simply add an inch or two of sand/pebbles into a couple of plastic bottles; next, fill the bottles with water and replace the lids. Lastly, place the bottles in the tank and ensure the tank still has at least 3 gallons inside so it will flush properly.

5. Insulate Water Pipes
Hate waiting on hot water? Consider installing inexpensive, pre-cut foam pipe insulation. Less water wasted while heating up and less wait time for hot water.

6. Take Shorter Showers
A four-minute shower uses approximately 20 to 40 gallons of water. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap, wash, and rinse.

7. Install Water-Saving Shower Heads and Faucet Aerators
Low-flow shower heads are easy to install and generally inexpensive. The most cost-effective solution to home water waste is installing faucet aerators on every faucet in your house.

8. Turn off the Water While Brushing
After wetting your toothbrush, fill a glass for mouth rinsing and turn off the water.

9. Turn off Water While Hand-Washing Dishes
Fill your basin with soapy water and only turn on the water to rinse each dish individually.

10. Wash Full Loads of Laundry and Dishes Only
For maximum water conservation, automatic washing machines and dishwashers should be fully loaded when starting a cycle. Most dishwasher soap manufacturers recommend no pre-rinse, which can waste a substantial amount of water.

The “permanent press” cycle on washing machines uses an extra 5 gallons for the added rinse; avoid using this setting. Accurately match the size of load setting to avoid wasted energy and water. Also, consider purchasing a new Energy Star rated washing machine which uses 35-50% less water and 50% less energy.

11. Minimize use of garbage disposals
To function properly, in-sink garbage disposals require quite a bit of water. These devices can also increase the amount of solids in your septic tank often leading to plumbing issues. Consider starting a compost pile to dispose of food waste. Guide to Composting - http://vegweb.com/composting/

Resources:

• EPA: Adopt Your Watershed
• EPA: Water News
• Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB)
• Blue Thumb (Oklahoma Conservation Commission)
• America’s Clean Water Foundation (ACWF)
• National Environmental Education Training Foundation  
• Oklahoma Clean Lakes & Watersheds Association (OCLWA)
• Oklahoma Water Environment Association (OWEA)
• Groundwater.org
• 100 outdoor water saving tips from wateruseitwisely.com