Bathroom

  • Take showers rather than baths whenever possible. Showers consume less than half of the 60 gallons normally required for a bath.
  • Install a low-flow showerhead and reduce your water consumption from 30 gallons for an average shower to just 13 gallons.
  • Turn off the tap when shaving, brushing your teeth, or washing your hands and face. You’d be surprised how the gallons add up.
  • Reduce the amount of water your toilet uses with each flush. Fill a plastic container with water and weigh it down in the tank. It will take up the space normally filled with water and save water each time you flush.
  • Check your flush valve (or flapper) for leaks. Place a couple of drops of food coloring in the tank and watch the bowl to see if the color is seeping in. If so, you need to check the valve and the refill tube to see where the leak is.
  • When replacing your old toilets, purchase the new water-saving models, which use as little as 1.6 gallons per flush.