I moved in with my fiance’ over a year ago and didn’t quite pay attention to our water consumption. At the time, it was a full house with his (then) two roommate’s, we had a very full house at four people (way more than our 890 square foot house should hold). After the roommates moved out in June, we started doing some energy and water conservation upgrades. They took a few months to finish and we have a few more things left to do (larger ticket items), but I’ve already noticed a HUGE difference in our utilities bills, in particular our water bill.
I went back through old water bills to a time when the house only occupied two people to get a more accurate comparison and was amazed to learn we nearly cut our water consumption in half.
Here are tips on how we did it:
- Replace your hot water heater. Opt for an energy efficient model such as a tankless water heater. We installed one andwould never go back to a tank.
- When washing dishes by hand, fill the sink basin or a large container and rinse when all of the dishes have been soaped and scrubbed.
- Soak pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
- Scrape your dishes instead of rinsing them before placing them in the dishwasher.
- Use a water bottle or designate one glass for your drinking water each day to cut down on the number of glasses to wash.
- Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost vegetable food waste instead and save gallons every time.
- For cold drinks keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap. This way, you’re not wasting water to get it nice and cold and you’re utilizing space wisely in the fridge.
- Don’t use running water to thaw food. Defrost food in the refrigerator overnight for water efficiency and food safety.
- Wash produce in a pan of water (or spray with 1:1 water/vinegar) instead of running water.
- Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, then reuse it to water houseplants.
- Boil food in as little water as possible. You just need enough to submerge your pasta and potatoes, and with less water you keep more flavor and nutrients in your veggies. And use cold water for even, thorough heating.
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway and sidewalk.
- Upgrade your older toilet to a new, water efficient model. Can’t afford an upgrade? Put a plastic bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush.
- “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” Doing so can save you a few thousand gallons a year.
- Drop your tissue in the trash instead of flushing it and save water every time. Better yet, use a handkerchief and contrary to popular belief you won’t use any more water to wash.
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
- Make sure you have water-saving aerators on all of your faucets.
- Use a water-efficient showerhead.
- Aim for shorter showers. Try 10 minutes, then lower by a minute each week. Your goal, five minutes.
- Use an Energy Star rated clothes washer (preferably a front loader). Some of can save up to 20 gallons of water per load. In fact, I’ve noticed ours is so efficient, it also cuts down on drying time (I air dry 50-75% all of our clothes).
- Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are completely full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
- Washing dark clothes in cold water saves both on water and energy while it helps your clothes to keep their colors.
- Fix leaking faucets, inside and outside.
- Insulate hot water pipes for more immediate hot water at the faucet and for energy savings.
- Plant native species that don’t require additional watering around your house.
- Water your plants deeply but less frequently to encourage deep root growth and drought tolerance.
- Let your lawn go dormant during the summer. Dormant grass only needs to be watered every three weeks or less if it rains.
- Water only when necessary. More plants die from over-watering than from under-watering.
- Monitor your water bill and take note of any unusually high use. Doing so will help you discover any leaks.
- Use a commercial car wash that recycles water. I’ve even been known to simply not wash my car at all and just let mother nature do the job.
Even if you chose to not implement all, try just a few and slowly add three at a time. Before you know it, you’ll be a water conservation expert!
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