5 Water Conservation Tips

Water conservation is one of those things that most everyone knows the importance of.

With all the talk of environmental impact comes important discussions of what we need to do to reduce it, but necessary change isn’t limited to passing laws on deforestation.

Everyone can enact small and steady change by how they live and run their household. Even if it seems insignificant, the methods in which you decide to be more environmentally conscious go a long way. From a financial standpoint, those extra minutes of water usage can add up to a scary number. Being water wise means both you and the earth wins— here are a few tips to help you start saving.

1. Check and repair water leaks

If you’ve ever stuck a glass on a windowsill to catch the rain, you know those tiny drops go a long way. The same goes for water leaks. Even tiny leaks in your plumbing can cost you hundreds of thousands of gallons of water each month. (Terrifying, isn’t it?) Luckily, many water leaks can be fixed easily by a do-it-yourself plumber, making finding the leak the only hard part of the job. Fixing the leak cuts down your water bill, helping you save big bucks in the long run.

2. Take shorter showers

It’s a little lousy, but it has to be said. Taking shorter showers is a surefire way to cut down your water bill, as every minute you take off your shower time saves up to 2.5 gallons of water. This isn’t to say your precious relaxation time should be shortened, however. The average normal showerhead uses five gallons of water a minute while the average bath uses 36 gallons to fill a tub, so if your showers tend to last more than seven minutes, consider taking a bath so you can soak as long as you like. Or, proceed to tip #3.

3. Install a water saving faucet

If you don’t want to cut down that shower time, compensate with a water saving faucet like this one. If you already have a water saving faucet but are unhappy with the low flow rate/how it feels, add an aerator to it to get a feeling closer to that of a regular faucet while still saving you water in the long run.

Shown above: GKB639 Water Saving Magellan Tub and Shower Faucet in Brushed Nickel/Polished Brass

4. Wash your dishes in the sink

Dishwashers are lifesavers when you’re hosting a dinner party for twelve. But when you’re cooking for yourself and your dog, using the dishwasher is kind of overkill, since they use about the same amount of energy and water regardless of the number of dishes inside. (If your current sink isn’t the right size or if it’s looking old, consider investing in a new one. The same goes for your kitchen faucet.) When you’re washing those dishes, make sure you only turn on the faucet when it’s time to rinse or use a large container filled with rinse water. For every minute your faucet doesn’t run, you save about 2.5 gallons.

Shown above: KS3792AXBS Restoration Kitchen Bridge Faucet with Brass Sprayer in Polished Brass

5. Water your plants wisely

Believe it or not, less is sometimes more when watering your lawn and plants. Only water your lawn when necessary and avoid watering on windy or hot days, as most of the water will evaporate instead of going to your plants. Additionally, plants that don’t need a lot of water are no less beautiful than those who do! Ask your local nursery for suggestions on which plants thrive on less water. There’s a perfect garden of plants for every corner of the world, and you can have it while still cutting down on your water usage.