It’s easy to conserve water, save money, and protect the environment at the same time.

In the Bathroom

• Turn off the tap while shaving or brushing your teeth.
• Take shorter showers! Showers generally use less water than baths. (A 10 min shower uses approx. 25 gallons of water, while a full bathtub takes approx. 80 gallons to fill. )

Try this fun water calculator to see how much water you use!

In the Kitchen

• Stopper the sink or use a wash basin if washing dishes by hand, or when rinsing fruits and vegetables.
• Use leftover water from rinsing fruits and vegetables, or from half-empty glasses (or bottles) of water, to give your houseplants a drink.
• Make sure that the dishwasher is fully loaded before running it.
• Scrape food from your plate instead of rinsing it, before loading into the dishwasher.
• Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
• Thaw food in the refrigerator, rather than using a running tap of hot water.
• Add food wastes to your compost pile instead of using the garbage disposal.

Print out this water conservation checklist and see how many actions you can take!

In the Laundry Room

• Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.
• Upgrade to a water-efficient clothes washer, which typically uses half the amount of water of “traditional” top-loading washers. (Older washers use approx. 40 gallons of water for a full load, compared to approx. 17 gallons for a newer model.)

Outdoors

• Always obey town water restrictions. Don’t irrigate lawns, play in sprinklers, or wash cars when water is in short supply.
• Landscape with native, drought tolerant plants. You’ll save water, money, and time!
• Use pistol-grip nozzles on all hoses and always turn off the faucet tightly to prevent leakage.
• Sweep driveways, sidewalks, and steps rather than hosing off.
• Wash the car with water from a rain barrel or bucket, or use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
• If you have a pool, use a cover to reduce evaporation when the pool is not being used.
• When it comes to lawn irrigation:
  • Pay attention to weather reports. One inch of rain a week is enough to keep a lawn green.
  • If you are irrigating your lawn, do it in the early morning or late afternoon to prevent evaporation.
  • Avoid watering on windy days. Water evaporates more quickly when it’s windy.
  • Don’t irrigate sidewalks or driveways. Adjust the spray of your irrigation nozzles to make sure that water is being distributed on your lawn.