LAWN WATERING 1 hour lawn watering can possibly use more than 1,000 gallons
Tips for Saving Water
AWWA recommends the following steps to help conserve water:
Don't over water your lawn. Only water every three to five days in the summer and 10 to 14 days in the winter.
To prevent water loss from evaporation, don't water your lawn during the hottest part of the day or when it is windy.
Only run the dishwasher and clothes washer when they are fully loaded.
Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator or in the microwave instead of running water over it.
When washing dishes by hand, use two basins - one for washing and one for rinsing rather than let the water run.
Use a broom, rather than a hose, to clean sidewalks and driveways.
If you have a swimming pool, get a cover. You'll cut the loss of water by evaporation by 90 percent.
Repair dripping faucets and leaky toilets. Dripping faucets can waste about 2,000 gallons of water each year. Leaky toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons each day.
Other tips on how to become water efficient can be found at: www.h2ouse.org
MORE CONSERVATION TIPS
1. Use a little color to spot toilet leaks - You can save as much as 200 gallons of water a day by fixing toilet leaks, which aren't always noticeable. To spot a leak, put a few drops of food coloring in the tank water, wait 15 to 30 minutes, then check the bowl. If the food coloring is there, you have a leak.
2. Care for yourself with care - Keep the faucet off when brushing your teeth or shaving, and try to make a point of taking shorter showers, ideally five minutes or less, if you can. When taking a bath, close the drain before turning the water on, and fill the tub half as full as you normally do.
3. Update showerheads, toilets and faucets as needed - Showerheads made after January 1994 use a maximum of 2.5 gallons of water a minute, as opposed to 8 gallons a minute with older showerheads. Also, since 1994, Congress has mandated that newly manufactured toilets can use a maximum of 1.6 gallons of water per flush, as opposed to 3.5 gallons in the past. If you have older toilets and a family of four, you may be using 11,000 more gallons of water than necessary each year. Low-flow sink faucets can also contribute to cost savings, as can simple repairs of leaky faucets. Replacing the washers on a leaky faucet can save you anywhere from 20 to 13,000 gallons of water a day, depending on the magnitude of the leak and your water pressure.
4. Be careful with hoses - Opt for pistol-grip style hose nozzles on your outdoor hoses because they shut off automatically. Keep the water turned off at the spigot to avoid leaks.
5. Water Wisely - Water you lawn during the coolest times of the day to reduce evaporation, and don't let your sprinklers waste a lot of water on sidewalks and driveways. Don't cut your lawn too short-the grass won't be able to hold as much water if you do.
6. Wash your car carefully - Fill up a bucket of water rather than letting the hose run continuously. By keeping the hose off between rinses, you can save up to 150 gallons of water.
7. Get acquainted with your water meter - Spot system leaks by turning off all faucets and appliances that use water for half an hour. Take a reading at the beginning and the end of the 30 minute period. If the dial moves, you'll know that you have a leak in one or more of your pipes.
Water Use Statistics
Consumption and Conservation
Approximately 346,800 million gallons per day (mgd) of freshwater and 61,200 mgd of saltwater were withdrawn during 2000 for use by the nation's homes, farms, and industries.
In 2000, the highest consuming states withdrew: California 51,200 mgd; Texas 29,600; and Florida 20,100. In comparison, the lowest consuming states withdrew Alaska 305 mgd; Rhode Island 429; and Vermont 447. (USGS)
Americans drink more than 1 billion glasses of tap water per day.
On average, 50 to 70 percent of home water is used outdoors for watering lawns and gardens.
Daily indoor per capita water use in the typical single family home is 69.3 gallons.
