Energy-Wise: Tips For Saving Water

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Remember, by conserving water you can also:

1. Save Money on water and utility bills, sewer and septic costs, state and local taxes.
2. Save Energy by reducing the amount of hot water you use and by saving electricity when pumped from a personal well.
3. Save the Environment by helping ease the burden on water storage, purification, distribution and treatment facilities.

Practice these important tips for saving water:

Don't flush the toilet simply to flush tissue or insects.

Don't fill the bathtub when you only need ¼ to bathe.

Don't shower for more than five minutes. A 5-minute shower could use up to 50 gallons of water.

Remember to check for costly leaks in toilets. This can be accomplished by dropping food coloring in the tank. Do not flush. If color appears in the toilet bowl, you may need to replace the flapper in your tank.

Don't run water while washing vegetables. Put in the stopper and wash them all at once.

Don't run faucet water until cold for drinking purposes. Fill your container from the tap and refrigerate.

Remember to use a bucket when washing your car-don't leave the hose running. A 20-minute car wash can use 600 gallons of water.

Put a spring shut off pistol grip nozzle on all hoses to prevent leakage.

Keep mower blades at least 3 inches in height when cutting your grass during the summer months. By not cutting your grass too short, you provide shade for roots and help reduce water loss.

Swimming pools should only be filled to a level, which minimizes splashing. Drain only for necessary repairs.
 

Be a water leak detective and keep from throwing money down the drain!

In this busy world, household water leaks often go undetected and are not repaired. The cost of leaks will vary according to the size of the leak and how long it is allowed to continue. Below are examples of how costly leaks can be:

As you can see by calculating the amount of water wasted into dollar figures you pay, a water leak can waste an extreme amount of water and money. If it is a hot water leak, it can increase your utility bill significantly. Since sewer charges are based on water consumption, leaks can also increase your sewer charge.

To help you identify and repair water leaks in and around your home, be a water leak detective to keep you from throwing money down the drain. Remember:

1) Toilets are notorious for hidden leaks. Check for silent leaks in and around your silent leaks in the toilet by utilizing the food-coloring test explained on the previous page.

2) Faucet leaks can be easily identified by checking the bathroom and kitchen fixtures, laundry room, and outside faucets. Other points to check for water leaks include dishwashers, hot water tanks, and irrigation systems. Worn washers are the biggest cause of faucet leaks. Most faucets are easy to disassemble for washer replacement. However, if you are unable to make plumbing repairs yourself or the situation requires professional help, call a licensed plumbing contractor as soon as possible. All it takes is a little detective work and the mystery of high utility bills is solved. Don't let water leaks be the culprit!

3) If you can't detect any noticeable leaks, check your water meter to determine if you have any underground household leaks. These leaks are usually found in the household pipes. Make sure no water is being used - - anywhere. Now read the red pointer on the meter. Wait fifteen minutes and read it again. If the pointer doesn't move you probably have no leaks

About your water meter:

To read your water meter, read only the white-faced dials. In the illustration to the right, the reading is 402. To find out your consumption, look at your previous month's bill and find the reading. Now, subtract last month's reading from this month's and that is your consumption in thousands of gallons.

 

 

 

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