You would be surprised at how the smallest tweaks to your daily habits can reduce your water consumption. Learn how to conserve water at home with these five tips and help the environment and your utility bill.
1. Change How You Take a Shower
Most people take a shower every day, so cutting down the time you spend showering by even a few minutes will add up to a lot of water saved over the year. Turn off the water when you are lathering up your hair and body or shaving; there is no need for the water to be running then. Low-flow showerheads are an inexpensive fix if you have children or family members who are hard to convince to shorten their shower time. A fun way to keep your shower times on track is to get a waterproof speaker and make a 5-minute (or shorter) playlist. When the playlist ends, its time to get out of the shower.
2. Fix Leaks to Save Water
A small leak can be costly. You want to pinpoint and fix leaks wherever you can to conserve water at home. If you have noticed that your grass or yard is soggy when it hasn’t been raining, you could have leaky pipes. Test your toilet for leaks by putting some food dye in the tank and see if it ends up in the bowl after 25 minutes.
3. Save Water With Landscaping
If you have a garden full of plants that need regular watering, you might want to upgrade to some succulents. Succulents are beautiful, and they come in a wide range of colors. Consider getting drought-resistant ground covering too. The upside to these types of plants is that they’re very low maintenance. This means you can have a beautiful, lush and green yard with blooming perennial flowers without having to use too much water. If you have already plants that need to be watered frequently, think of more efficient ways to water them. Using a watering can instead of spraying the hose limits the amount of water you will waste.
4. Turn Off the Tap to Conserve Water at Home
You don’t always need a steady stream of water while you are doing certain activities. Don’t leave your water on while you’re brushing your teeth or scrubbing dishes. Consider other times you have the water on and how you can preserve it.
5. Learn How to Conserve Water While Cleaning
There are a variety of ways to save water while cleaning. You can get mop buckets that efficiently rinse your mop without requiring the water to be frequently changed. Wash full loads of clothing with a front loader washing machine. Front loaders are more efficient and can use as little as five gallons of water per cycle. Standard top loaders can use up to 30 gallons of water. Using a dishwasher instead of handwashing dishes saves water too, but wait to run it until it is completely full.
These are just a handful of ways that you can adjust your lifestyle and reduce your water consumption. If you have a swimming pool, put the cover on when it’s not in use to keep the water from evaporating. It’s not hard to learn how to conserve water if you think about the ways you use it in your home. Saving water will reduce your water bill and you’ll be doing your part to conserve this essential resource.
Lakeland Home Inspection Service provides home inspection and testing services to Central Florida, including home water testing. Contact us to schedule an appointment.