- Showers use 9 gallons of water per minute. A bath requires 30-50 gallons. You can save 5 gallons of water in a bath for each inch of water you don't use. Many older shower heads use 5 to 10 gallons per minute. Installing a water-saving shower head will save you 50% - 75% in wasted shower water.
- Turn off the shower while soaping or shampooing. Some low-flow heads have controls that make it easy or install a separate shut-off valve.
- A leaky faucet can waste 300 gallons of water a month. Solution: Replace "O" Rings in old faucets, or cartridges in newer faucets.
- Putting just a little water into the sink for shaving avoids running hot water continuously.
- Turn off the water when you brush your teeth. Fill a cup to rinse your mouth.
- Test toilets for silent leaks, which can waste up to 10 ½ gallons an hour. Put a dozen drops of red food coloring into the tank, if the dye appears in the bowl, there is a silent leak; you may need to change the flapper or ball. If no dye shows up in the bowl after 15 minutes, the toilet is leak-free.
- Installing a water saver toilet can save 3 to 5 gallons per single flush.
- Do not use toilets as ashtrays or wastebaskets.
- Use low-suds detergents, which require less water for rinsing; the amount of foam has no effect on the cleansing power.
- Use garbage disposals as little as possible. Throw such garbage as bones and eggshells into the trash.
- Wash vegetables in a bowl of water, or in a sink with the drain closed. Then rinse under the tap briefly. Scrubbing a dozen potatoes under a tap can take 3 gallons of water.
- Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator. Don't run the tap until the water is cold enough to drink.
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