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Believe it or not the average American wastes as many as 30 gallons of water each day! This will not only result in water bills being higher than they should be; but over time, this can lead to shortages of safe drinking water as well. Below are just some of the ways in which water is wasted in the average home each day.
Watering of gardens and lawns can account for as much as a third of a household’s water consumption, and it’s often one of the main areas where water waste is really high. Using native plants or even those that are drought-resistant in your garden and not watering lawns more than once a week can save a lot of water. Watering during the early morning or early evening will also help prevent evaporation.
Each toilet in your home could flush away up to five gallons of water whenever they’re flushed, amounting to a few hundred gallons per week. If there’s only urine in the toilet, consider flushing after every second or third use instead. A little baking soda can be sprinkled into the bowl to assist with odor control.
Taking showers that are longer than three to five minutes can waste as many as 10 gallons of water at a time. While fitting a low-flow showerhead will help alleviate this to an extent, try to aim for showers that are under 5 minutes wherever possible. This could save a whopping 800 gallons a month for the average sized family.
Regardless of whether you have a smart clothes washer or dishwasher that adjusts water levels to match the size of loads, a half full machine will still use more water than it should to get those dishes and clothing clean. Wherever possible, wait until you have a full load of laundry or dishes before running these appliances – an added bonus is that you’ll save electricity by running fewer loads.
There’s absolutely no reason why the faucet should be left running while you’re brushing your teeth – this can gobble up to five gallons of water per family member each day. Simply turn on the faucet to dampen your brush and then turn it off while brushing. Turn it on again to rinse and do so as quickly as possible.
You can save up to five gallons of water when doing dishes or washing fresh produce by running water into the sink or a bowl and then turning the faucet off. This water can even be used again to water plants or flush a toilet if you’re feeling especially industrious.
Not all leaks can be easily spotted. Even if the faucet itself isn’t leaking, pooling water around its base could indicate that an O-ring could be cracked or worn. It’s a good idea to have all water-related fixtures inspected once a year.
Implementing even a few of the above mentioned measures could result in a drastically reduced water bill over time. If your water bill is excessively high and you are doing everything possible to reduce usage, contact our plumbers so that a professional inspection of water fixtures around your home can be performed.
Alliance Service Pros is a full-service plumbing company committed to providing the fast, friendly, and cost-effective home services you deserve. Call (609) 739-9899 for immediate assistance.
