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The water you use is a carefully manufactured product—clean, safe, and piped directly into your home—a valuable resource that should not be wasted. Household water conservation not only saves water, but also saves energy— energy needed to heat water and to run appliances.
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The bathroom is where you can make the most substantial reduction in your personal water use. Two-thirds of the water used in an average home is used in the bathroom, mostly for flushing toilets and for showers and baths. A lot of that water may be going to the sewer needlessly, adding to the volume of wastewater and putting an extra burden on both the water and wastewater treatment plants. | |
| About seven gallons of water
goes into the sanitary sewer system every time a toilet is flushed. How can you save water
here? Don't use the toilet for things it was not meant for, and reduce the water per
flush. Toilets should not be used as trash cans to flush away tissues, gum
wrappers, cigarette butts, spiders, diapers, or anything else that ought to go in a
wastebasket or garbage can. Most toilets use more water than is really necessary and work just as well with less. It is not wise to put a brick in the tank to displace some of the water. The extra weight might crack the tank, or the brick may begin to disintegrate after a while, causing serious and sometimes expensive plumbing problems. Use a plastic soap or laundry bottle instead. Fill a few bottles with water to weight them and put them in the tank. Be sure the bottles are away from the flushing mechanism, and don’t displace so much water that a double-flush is required. |
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| What about leaks? Toilets are notorious for
hidden leaks. Leaks occur when the toilet is out of adjustment or when parts are worn.
Most toilet leaks are at the overflow pipe or at the plunger ball. If it’s at the
overflow, the water level is usually too high; although the overflow pipe sometimes may
leak below the waterline. Gently bend the arm until the valve shuts off the water about a
half inch below the top of the overflow pipe. Sometimes the valve is worn and will run
like a leaky faucet and must be replaced. An experienced "do-it-yourselfer" can
do the job. Otherwise, a plumber should be contacted. Plunger-ball leaks aren’t easy to spot. The best way to check is by dropping a little food coloring into the toilet tank. Wait for the color to show up in the bowl. If it does, you probably have a leak at the plunger ball. This is also a fairly simple repair for a "do-it-yourselfer." |
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| Your water meter is an
important conservation tool. In addition to providing you with information about how much
water you are using, reading your meter can also help you detect leaks in your household
plumbing. To check for a leak you must first turn off all faucets inside and outside your
house. Be certain the toilet is not flushed and the automatic ice cube maker is not
operating when performing this task. Make a note of your meter's initial reading. Wait approximately 30 minutes before rechecking the meter reading. If there is a change, a leak is indicated. Leaks that occur within a customers house are the responsibility of the customer. If you are uncomfortable making repairs yourself, you might want to hire a competent plumber to do the work for you. |
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FOR THE ASKING
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| What uses more water? A bath in a tub or in a shower? Considering the fact that many people spend 10 to 20 minutes or more in the shower, between 5 and 10 gallons per minute of water can be used when taking a shower. A partially filled tub uses far less water than a long shower, while a short shower uses less than a full tub. Self-control is the key. The odds are you really don't need to stand there that long, nor do you need the shower running at full, hot blast. Shaving and tooth brushing can waste a lot of water. Don't leave the water running when performing these personal tasks. Run as much water as you need, then turn off the tap until you need some more. Clean water down the drain is doubly wasted.. | ||
| Automatic dishwashers claim the most water in the kitchen, about 12 gallons each run. Make sure the washer is fully loaded before you turn it on. Don't bother rinsing the dishes in the sink before you put them in the dishwasher. Scrape them clean and let the machine do the rest. Perhaps you're the dishwasher at your house. Remember not to wash the dishes with the water running. A sink full of wash water and one of rinse water will do the job just as well. Don't let the faucet run when you scrub vegetables or prepare other foods. Put a stopper in the sink instead. Also, don't let the water run in the sink waiting for a cold drink. Store a jug of ice water in the refrigerator. Many washing machines use 40 or more gallons of water a load whether you have them stuffed full or have only a couple of socks. If your machine has a water level adjustment, by all means use that feature. Save up for a full load and make your water (and electricity) work efficiently. Don't let the water run to do hand-washing; put a stopper in the washtub for both wash and rinse. | ||
| A slow drip can add up to 15 or 20 gallons a day, while a 1/16-inch faucet leak wastes 100 gallons in 24 hours! Most leaks, aside from toilets, are in faucets and are most commonly caused by worn washers. Make it a point to check all faucets in the house once or twice a year. Any good household do-it-yourself book offers easy-to-understand advice on making these types of repairs. A good hardware or plumbing supply store will have necessary replacement parts and can probably direct you to a good instruction source, too, if you need it. Many different kinds of water-saving devices and fixtures are on the market, ranging from special reduced-flow shower heads to water-thrifty shallow-trap toilets. A variety of shower head adapters also is available to cut down water use in existing fixtures. See a good plumbing supply or hardware store for advice, particularly when it's time to replace an old fixture in the house. | ||
FOR THE ASKING A supply of these flow restrictors are available at the information desk in City Hall, 515 Clark, Ames, IA. |
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| Do you know where your water shutoff valves are located? Most sinks, wash basins, and toilets in the house have shutoff valves below them that cut off water to that particular fixture. The water heater also has a shutoff valve to cut off hot water to the whole house. Most bathtubs and showers do not have shutoff valves because the plumbing is usually behind the wall. Check your home carefully to locate all of those shutoff valves; see if they work. Most importantly, look for the main shutoff valve that turns off the whole house. It's usually located where the water pipe comes into the house. Check to see that the valve works easily. If the valve and plumbing are old and corroded, it could be difficult to turn the valve; sometimes, the valve connection could even break or spring a leak while you are trying to open or close it. If you suspect this valve needs to be replaced or there is a threat of failure, contact a plumber to stop by and correct the situation. | ||
| Conserving water outdoors is important too. States that enjoy warm weather during most of the year often find half, or more, of the water piped into homes goes right back out through hoses onto lawns and gardens. Northern states find the same in summer months. Use common sense when watering lawns and gardens. The basic rule of lawn and garden watering is not to give them more than they need, usually about one inch per week. Don't follow a set schedule. Instead water only when the grass or plants show signs of needing it. Remember that during cool or cloudy spells you don't need to water as often. Avoid watering on windy days, and you'll avoid having most of the water go where you don't want it. Water in the cool of the day, both to avoid excess evaporation and the chance of harming the lawn. Weeds are water thieves, too, so keep the garden free of them. If you let water sink in slowly and deep, the lawn will develop deeper roots and won't need watering as often. Make sure when the sprinklers are on that they cover just the lawn or garden, not sidewalks, driveways, and gutters | ||
| Water conservation is a good way of life. Consider how much water is used every time a toilet is flushed and every time a shower is taken. Remember that leaks can account for hundreds and even thousands of gallons of water lost each day. Conserving isn't difficult; use common sense, and think about the water the next time you turn on a faucet. | ||