Water Saving Tips

On average, American residents each use about 100 gallons of water per day, while those in Europe use about 50 gallons a day, and a resident of sub-Saharan Africa uses about five gallons of water per day. The Tree Hugger Website offers some smart ways to reduce your water usage:

• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or shaving. The average faucet releases two gallons of water per minute.
• Fix leaky sinks and running toilets: Up to 200 gallons of water each day can flow through a running toilet. At the sink, one drip per second equals 3,000 gallons per year!
• Wash your produce in a bowl in the sink. Or, save cooking water used for boiling or steaming. Once cooled, this water is perfectly fine for flushing the toilet or watering plants.
• Take a bucket to the shower. While waiting for the water to warm, collect it and use it for toilet flushes or for watering plants.
• Compost food scraps instead of sending them down the garbage disposal.
• Shower or Bath? A bath uses up to 70 gallons of water; a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons. Also, installing a low-flow shower head can save water and money.
• When doing laundry, try to wash only full loads, use cold water, and minimize detergent use.
• In your landscaping, mulch to retain water and plant hardy, native, water-saving trees and shrubs. Water in the early morning or late evening, or install drip irrigation.