Usually we talk about ways to keep our water clean on Water Wednesday. This week we are talking about 10 super simple ways to cut down on your water use at home.
(1) Fix leaky faucets (and toilets!).
(2) Take shorter showers, or try showering one time less a week.
{Reducing a 10-minute shower to 5 minutes saves 12.5 gallons of water if the showerhead has a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute–even more if the showerhead has a higher flow rate.} www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org
(3) Collect rainwater to water your flowers or houseplants. You can do this with a rain barrel or on a smaller scale with buckets.
(4) Turn off the water when brushing your teeth, shaving, or lathering your hands.
{Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save 25 gallons a month.} http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/
(5) Empty your water bottle or glass in a houseplant instead of pouring it down the drain.
(6) Load up the dishwasher instead of hand-washing. Also, when it comes time to replace your dishwasher, invest in a high-efficiency model. This will save water, energy, and money.
{When comparing only the water used inside the dishwasher, handwashing uses an average of 23 gallons more per session (Stamminger, et. al., 2004, European Comparison of Cleaning Dishes by Hand, Univ. of Bonn) or up to five times that of a new dishwasher.} www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org
(7) When washing dishes, turn off the tap when you’re not using it.
(8) Don’t run the garbage disposal; compost food waste instead.
(9) Only run the washing machine when you have a full load.
{Conventional washers built before 2011 typically use about 40 gallons per load; resource-efficient washers may use as little as 15 gallons per load.} www.allianceforwaterefficiency.org
(10) Insulate water pipes so that hot water heats up faster, reducing the time the tap has to run.
These are only a few ways to save water at home. How else do you conserve water?
For more ideas, check out these resources:
Residential Water-Saving Tips, from the Alliance for Water Efficiency
100 Ways to Conserve, from wateruseitwisely.org
25 Ways to Conserve Water in the Home and Yard, by eartheasy.com
Make-A-Difference Month 
Great stuff. It’s amazing how much of a difference just doing several little things can make. Another simple one is using a heavy object (like a 2 liter or 20oz bottle filled with water) to displace water in the toilet storage tank. It way cuts down on the amount of water used per flush!
Also, I started using a cup of water to clean my razor between strokes when I shave in the morning instead of using a running tap.
Thanks for your comment! Those are both great ideas. Growing up, my brother and I each had a cup that we kept at the sink to use for brushing our teeth. Keep up the good work!
I’ve been enjoying your blog and have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Cheers!
Oh wow! Thank you!
Pingback: Construct A Rain Barrel at Mobile Workshop | Make-A-Difference Month