Conserving Water Indoors

Conserving water is an important habit to maintain all year long. You can limit water use and cut your water bill by following these tips inside your home.

In The Bathroom

• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth, washing your face and shaving.
• Check for toilet leaks by adding food coloring to the back of the tank. Do not flush. If the toilet is leaking, the food coloring will appear in the bowl within an hour.
• Don't use your toilet as a trash can. Unnecessary flushing will waste water.
• Consider purchasing low-flow toilets or installing a water displacement device, toilet dam or early closing flappers. These devices can save more than 1,000 gallons per person yearly.
• Take shorter showers and use the minimum amount of water needed for a bath.

Kitchen Tips

• Minimize the use of kitchen sink disposals; they require a lot of water to operate properly.
• Only run the dishwasher when it is full and use its water/energy savings cycle.
• Store drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the tap run to get a cool glass of water.
• Save up to 15 gallons of water by soaking dirty dishes before rinsing them off.
• Thaw meat and frozen foods in the refrigerator instead of under running water.

Appliance Tips

• Adjust the amount of water used in the washing machine according to load size.
• Turn off water softeners while on vacation. Their self-cleaning process consumes a considerable amount of water.

Maintenance Tips

• Identify and repair leaks. A dripping faucet can waste 2,000 - 4,000 gallons per year.
• If your toilet was purchased prior to 1994, replace it to save up to 21,000 gallons of water per year.
• Insulate your water pipes. You will get hot water faster and avoid wasting water.
  
  To learn more about water-saving opportunities, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.