Resources
Low Flow Fixtures
Install a low-flow shower head, which restricts the water ouput to no more than 2.5 gallons per minute. The shower heads are inexpensive and screw into existing fittings. If you live in an older home and haven’t renovated your bathroom, the shower head may be using as much as 5.5 gallons per minute. To determine how much water runs through your shower head, put a bucket under the nozzle and time how many seconds the water takes to get to the one gallon mark. If it’s less than 20 seconds, you may want to investigate the low flow shower head options available.
Retrofit Faucets
Aerators screw into the faucet threading and cut the water flow from 3 to 4 gallons per minute (the rate on older fixtures) to as little as a half-gallon. You can figure the flow at the faucet by putting a quart container under the faucet and if the container fills in less than 5 seconds, you could save money by using aerators.
Leaking Faucets
When brushing your teeth, turn the water off and save up to 2 gallons of water in two minutes of brushing.
With chores that require running water, let the water trickle rather than stream and save up to 1 gallon per minute.
Leak Detection
Locate your water meter. Most meters are in the basement but some are in utility rooms or heated garages. It is important to have the meter in a heated area. Meters vary in style but all have an indicator that spins when water is being used. Turn off everything in the house that you know uses water, then check the meter to see if the dial is spinning. A spinning dial indicates there is a leak somewhere in the building.
Toilet Leaks
Toilets are the most likely cause of water leaks inside the home. To test the toilet, put a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. Do not flush the toilet. Check the bowl after a few minutes and see if the water has turned colors. If the color has seeped into the bowl, the toilet is leaking and you are paying for water that you are not using. A leak that is the size of a pencil point can cause 74,000 gallons to be wasted during the quarter.
Leaking Faucets
Leaking faucets are wasting up to 2,700 gallons per year, and are easy to see. You may think it’s only a drip but over time it adds up and the water is going down the drain.