Conserving Water at Home
A mere one percent of the planet’s water is drinkable, so conserving this valuable natural resource is vitally important. The easiest way to lower water use is through conservation. And conservation begins with finding ways to use less water:
Turn off the faucet.
Running the faucet while you shave or brush your teeth wastes water — 4 to 6 gallons escapes while you brush your teeth.
Use the water otherwise wasted while it gets hot.
Capture the water in a basin or kettle for later use or use the warming water to brush your teeth or wet your washcloth or give the sink a quick wipe-down. In the typical American home, 10,000 gallons of water are wasted each year as people wait for the hot water to arrive at the tap.
Scrape plates instead of rinsing them.
Rinsing every dish and plate before putting them in the dishwasher uses at least twice as much water as necessary. Fill a small bowl with water and use that and a scrubber to get food off before loading the dishwasher.
Do full loads of really dirty laundry.
Washing machines use gallons of water plus electricity, so make sure the machine is full and the clothes really need to be cleaned. Washing clothes after wearing them just once — or even twice — can waste precious resources.
Make your showers last ten minutes or less.
Taking a 10-minute shower instead of a 20-minute shower saves 25 to 50 gallons of water.