5 cheap ways to save 1,000 gallons of water

Water is humanity's most valuable resource. Want to green your usage? These ideas cost next to nothing and can each save 1,000 gallons a year.
By Chris BaskindMon, Mar 15 2010 at 1:59 PM EST  23 Comments

EVERY DROP COUNTS: These simple tips save H20 and money. (Photo: Pink Sherbet Photography/Flickr)
It's been said so many times, it has become a bit of a cliche: water is our most precious resource. The world's population tripled during the 20th century — and water use increased at twice that rate. The general trend toward urbanization has stressed groundwater supplies to the breaking point.
 
 
  
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What's this?
Closer to home, municipalities from the Southeastern United States to East Africa to Australia are dealing with unprecedented drought conditions. Whether you chalk it up to global warming or a run of bad luck, water shortages are becoming a vexing and increasingly familiar fact of life.
 
There is some good news. Most of us are so wasteful with our everyday water use that basic conservation methods can really make a difference. And they needn't mean replacing your appliances or undergoing expensive home renovations.
 
We've rounded up five free (or very inexpensive) ways to save water. Each should save at least a thousand gallons of water per year. That's a little bit more change in your pocket — and water in the tap.
 
1) Reduce your current shower time by one minute. The average non-conserving shower head has a flow rate of five to eight gallons per minute, and a water-saving unit uses about 2.5 gallons. For several days, use a cooking timer and log how long it currently takes you to shower. Average these times — then subtract a minute. If you shower every day, you'll easily save 1,000 gallons a year by cutting the time you run the water by just 60 seconds. You can probably make up this time simply by making sure everything you need is close at hand before you turn the water on.
 
2) Locate and repair silent toilet leaks. Worn hardware can easily — and quietly — leak several gallons per day. Drip by drip, it all adds up. Put some dark food coloring in your tank. If you notice color in the bowl within 15 minutes, you've got a leak worth fixing. Head to your local home building supply store and pick up a repair kit.
 
3) Water lawns on demand, not on schedule. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 30 percent of all household water consumption is used outdoors. Of this, up to 50 percent is simply wasted due to wind, evaporation, broken irrigation systems and overwatering. The last one is something over which you have full control. Check your lawn on a schedule instead of automatically watering. Here's a quick test: step on a patch of grass. If it springs back, it doesn't need watering. And consider hardy native plants and low-water garden design the next time you landscape.
 
4) Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth. It's one of those hard-to-break habits, but it's surprisingly wasteful. Running the tap while you scrub sends five to eight gallons of fresh water straight down the drain. Double that for morning and bedtime scrubbing, and we're talking several thousand gallons a year. All you really need is a few ounces to wet and clean the brush.
 
5) Be smart about dishwashing. If you're doing dishes by hand, don't rinse under an open faucet. Buy an in-sink rack, load your soapy dishes, and rinse by pouring hot water over the top or using a handheld spray nozzle. Have a dishwasher? Use the short cycle for all but the dirtiest dishes. EnergyStar suggests skipping a pre-rinse before loading your dishwasher: it can use up to 20 extra gallons per load. Just scrape and go.
 
What's next?
It should probably go without saying that obvious plumbing problems should be fixed immediately. At a drop a second, a worn tap or outdoor faucet is losing about 20 gallons a day — more than 7,000 gallons per year. If you're going to be away from home all day, shut down anything which would use water and make note of your utility meter. This is a great way to spot sneaky leaks.
 
Beyond this cheap, low-hanging fruit is the pricier process of replacing inefficient appliances with EnergyStar-rated models. The washing machine is probably your best bet, followed by the dishwasher. Both will save energy and water when compared to models more than a few years old.
 
In the realm of home improvement, water-saving shower and faucet attachments are clearly the first priority. A trigger-operated spray nozzle on kitchen sinks is a real saver, particularly if your home isn't equipped with a dishwasher. Next up is making sure pipes are insulated properly, a move which will reduce waste caused by waiting for the water to get to the right temperature. Water-saving toilets are within the budget reach of most homeowners, particularly as older units wear out. If rainwater collection is legal where you live, consider setting up a modest system to handle your gardening needs.
 
Do you have a favorite water-saving tip? Please share in our comments section.
 
Copyright Lighter Footstep 2008
 
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Cheap Cruise



Time enrolling seniors in a born gas protecti one muhammedan told me of how she ransomed dollars (DOLLARS) by action her cleanse & squander facility in the tub and using it to sop the grooming. I proven the intent and now use it. It cuts water phthisis nearly in half!
Cheap Cruise

jhontaff03



While enrolling seniors in a spontaneous gas protection announcement, one noblewoman told me of how she salvageable dollars (DOLLARS) by action her bath & squander installation in the tub and using it to rich the commode. I reliable the purpose and now use it. It cuts nutrient activity nearly in half!
Cheap Cruise

Another tip for saving water



Another easy way to save water is this. Fill a large (one or two quart size) plastic beverage bottle with water, cover tightly and put in your toilet tank where it doesn't interfere with the mechanism. The water level will rise to the correct point and each time you flush, you will save the amount of water that is in the bottle. I've used this system for several years now.

. . . or use a brick



Enter your comments here In the UK we've been told to put a brick in the cistern, which means you use even less water. Some water companies have also been giving out a plastic 'hippo', which is basically an oblong blue bag with sides stiff enough to stand up.

sump pump water



Use your sump pump water for your lawn. Install a flexible plastic hose in your sump pump exterior pipes for your grass, just transfer the end hose location everyday in different spot, or you may connect the flexible plastic hose to a plastic drum with overflow pipes and outlet faucet for garden hose to water your grass

showers



I just had a custom home built, there are NO bathtubs in the house, only low flow showers. All but the (two button flush)toilet water goes to tanks buried in the back yard.(So does the rain water and dew off the metal roof We use biodegradable soaps, which allows us to take all that water, run it through a sand/charcoal filter and use it to water the yard (underground system), fill the pool etc. The new house is 7,500 sq ft, vs our old 1,400 sq ft house, and we just adopted 4 children from the.... More

Rain Water Harvesting



Rain water is one of the purest form of water. Conserve it!!. All you need to do is to divert the run off water from your roof to water storage tank after filtering it using river sand /broken bricks and finally a topping of charcoal. Storage tanks need'int be expensive. You could connect 10-20 200ltr plastic drums (after cleaning them properly)which can be had for free or a few $s at the local junk merchant/dump. Make a pit of 2m by 2m and lead the overflow from the tank to this pit and.... More

Save Water



I keep a pail and a pitcher in my bathroom. It takes about 30 seconds for the water in my shower to run hot, So I catch that cold water in a pail,and a pitcher. I use this water for hand-washing, watering plants, and take the surplus to the kitchen to rinse dishes. Sometimes it's a bit of a nuisance, but it probably saves 3 gallons a day..

Saving Water



I keep my watering can underneath my AC unit so when it drips water it falls into my can and I then use the water to water my plants.

5 cheap ways to save 1000 gallons



Enter your comments here
For those who like to take baths rather than showers, use old jugs (cat litter containers work really well) and collect the used water. This can be poured in the back of the toilet after it is flushed.

the shower flush



its also quite easy keep a two or five gallon bucket in the shower and use whatever water it catches to fill the tank after you flush. (the other no- brainer here is that you don't have to flush the toilet every single time you pee!)

Just Flush with the Warmup Water



No need to fill the tank. You can flush with the water in the bucket. Much simpler to just leave the bucket in the shower/tub and pour it into the bowl when needed. I rarely touch the handle anymore.

Real water saver



While enrolling seniors in a natural gas saving program, one lady told me of how she saved dollars (DOLLARS) by saving her bath & shower water in the tub and using it to flush the toilet. I tried the idea and now use it. It cuts water consumption nearly in half!

5 Cheap ways to save 1000 gallons...



These are all great tips. My isn't original but useful. After you boil veggies/eggs, etc. let the water cool and use it to water house plants. Also, after your child bathes, save the bath water and use it to scrub up Fido! He won't mind!

Shower Power



I run 4-5 times a week but only have 3 sets of running gear and no one in the family allows me to mix my running gear with the rest of the clothes in a load of wash. So I now after a run I throw my running clothes into the shower and use them to scrub with.

Get wet, turn off the shower, lather up a sock, scrub a bit, throw it down in the bottom of the shower. Repeat the process for the rest of the clothes. While scrubbing I stomp around a bit on the clothes. At the end of the.... More

Tips



Great tips, the one about the dish washing in the sink is a great idea. I'm going to have to try it with just a tub of clean water to rinse them all. Since my dishwasher isn't the best I use it for a drying rack and don't have room for anything else in my kitchen. Also, a great way for women to save on water in the shower is to shave in the sink, just fill it up a little and then hop in the shower. I hate to see the water run while trying to balance in the shower anyways.

In my state



I lived in AZ for decades and am now shocked that water costs more here in Michigan than it ever did there. This state is proof that raising the prices won't prevent people from wasting it. My neighbors think my rain barrel is a blight on the neighborhood. They see anything that saves money or water as a personal fiscal failure.

Take the Pitcher Challenge



Place a pitcher under your faucet when you turn the hot water on and collect the cold water that comes out first. Check each faucet in the house, and you may be amazed at how much cold water is wasted while waiting for the hot. My kitchen sink wastes 1/2 gallon each time - multiply that out per day/week/year! I keep a pitcher there and use that cold water for pets and plants. That cold water takes energy to clean and pump to the house, then energy to treat is as sewage even though it is clean..... More

5 cheap ways to save 1,000 gallons of water



If you really want to get cheap, you could get in the shower, get wet, turn the shower off, lather up with soap, turn the shower on, rinse the soap off, turn the shower off, lather up with shampoo, turn the shower on, rinse the shampoo out, turn the shower off, and then get out.
That's what they do in Europe.

Shower temperature



That's where it's nice to have a lever that allows you to turn the water on and off at the correct temperature. (Better than a water-saving showerhead.) If you have two knobs, it takes so long to get the right temperature that it isn't worth turning the water off again before you're done.

Habitual



That's how boaters shower, as they're limited to the water in the tanks.

Short Showers in America too



Showering as described above was required when I was growing up, as we had our water hauled to our house one tankful at a time (yes, in America in the 1970's & 1980's). So every drop was $, and if you used too much you would run out and have to wait for the next haul. Shutting off water when brushing teeth and other conservation was just daily life, not some special action. I was amazed when I went to college and students just let the water run while they showered!

5 cheap ways to save 1000 gallons



I have been trying for over a year and half to convince the Economic Security Corp. (govt. supported) to not only improve homes for energy use, but for water use. In SW Missouri it is estimated they spend about $6000 on each home. If they were to include doing toliets, faucets and shower heads it would only add about $900 to that overall cost. The time to fix these would be a day or less and accomplish an immediate water savings and could use the same crew that is there doing energy.... More

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