Water saving tips for your home

If you are living in California or planning on moving to there anytime soon, here is what you need to know about the current drought epidemic. This is a huge concern and worry for all citizens living in California, according to the State of California “this is the most severe droughts on record, Governor Brown declared a drought State of Emergency in January and directed state officials to take all necessary actions to prepare for water shortages. The state has continued to lead the way to make sure California is able to cope with an unprecedented drought.” There is no way around this and all we can do now is to prepare ourselves for water conservation, daily water saving, and making the best with what little we have.

Tips on saving water:

• Install water-saving aerators on all of your faucets.
• Dishwashers typically use less water than washing dishes by hand. Now, Energy Star dishwashers save even more water and energy.
• Take shorter showers: One way to cut down on water use is to turn off the shower after soaping up, then turn it back on to rinse. A four-minute shower uses approximately 20 to 40 gallons of water.
• Rinse your razor in the sink: Fill the sink with a few inches of warm water. This will rinse your razor just as well as running water, with far less waste of water.
• Retrofit all wasteful household faucets by installing aerators with flow restrictors.
• Operate automatic dishwashers and clothes washers only when they are fully loaded or properly set the water level for the size of load you are using.
• When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water. Quickly rinse under a slow-moving stream from the faucet.
• Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run every time you want a cool glass of water.
• Do not use running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.
• Kitchen sink disposals require lots of water to operate properly. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste instead of using a garbage disposal. Garbage disposals also can add 50% to the volume of solids in a septic tank which can lead to malfunctions and maintenance problems.
• Consider installing an instant water heater on your kitchen sink so you don’t have to let the water run while it heats up. This will reduce heating costs for your household.
• Insulate your water pipes. You’ll get hot water faster plus avoid wasting water while it heats up.
• Never install a water-to-air heat pump or air-conditioning system. Air-to-air models are just as efficient and do not waste water.
• Install water softening systems only when necessary. Save water and salt by running the minimum amount of regenerations necessary to maintain water softness. Turn softeners off while on vacation.

There is many more tips and tricks you can do to save water. Be sure to research alternative household fixtures and implements that will save you money and cut down on water usage. Having the household follow these simple tips will help you save hundreds of gallon in the next year.

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