Wisconsin Water Conservation Coalition

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Residential ~ Inside

Saving water inside the home

There are many ways to save water inside the home. The following is a partial list and will be updated frequently. Please e-mail us your great water saving ideas and watch for them to be added to our list!

Saving water is easy, it actually takes little effort. The best way people can save water is just through their awareness. By being aware that water conservation is important (and saves you money), many of the ideas are merely common sense.

1. Turn the water off when you are not using it. While brushing teeth or shaving, turn the water off when not rinsing the toothbrush or razor.

2. Don't run the shower for a 'long time' to wait for it to get warm, it will be warm quicker than you think. Some people actually set a pan or bucket in the shower to catch the water while it is warming up. This water is then used to water plants, or other nonpotable purposes.

3. Check for leaks.   Small leaks can add up to enormous water (and dollar) losses. There are several ways to check for a leak. One method of testing for a leak is to turn off all the water in your house and make certain no appliances are running or are being used. Find your water meter. Your water meter is typically in the basement. If your water meter has a small red diamond on it, and you are not using any water, the red diamond should not be moving. If the red diamond is moving, and you are not using any water, then you could have a leak because water is moving through that meter. If your meter does not have a red diamond, perform this test when you can leave all water off for an hour or two. Make a reading of the meter, and check it again in an hour or two and see if the reading has changed. Obviously, if you have not used any water in that time, the meter should not have moved.

4. Check your toilets for leaks. Toilets are one of the main causes for unknown water leaks. Please note that a toilet that has a leak can be wasting hundreds of gallons of water PER DAY. Some toilet leaks you know about, you hear the constant or intermittent sound of the toilet "running" . Some toilet leaks are not audible, and are difficult to find without 'testing'. The good news is the testing is easy. To test your toilets, choose one that will not be used for an hour or two. Add a (safe / water soluble) dye such as food coloring to the water tank on the back of your toilet- DO NOT FLUSH after you've added the dye. (Please check with your local utility or plumber to make certain the dye you use will  not stain your toilet). If after an hour or two (typically it will be faster) you notice the dye color in the bowl- your toilet has a leak.

5. When purchasing new appliances or toilets , make certain they are water and energy efficient items. Toilets should be no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Washing machines and dishwashers should also be water efficient. Energy Star Ratings will be good for both water AND energy savings! 

6. Check your water softener. Older 'time dosed' water softeners are enormous wasters of water. Newer 'demand' type water softeners use much less water.

7. Only run the dishwasher and clothes washing machine when the loads are full. Partial loads waste water and energy.

8. If you drop ice cubes on the floor- set them in a plant instead of throwing them in the sink.

As this site is 'under construction' please check back for a lot of information that will soon be added to give you ideas and tips of conserving water. Send your water saving ideas to this website via our e-mail address, and watch for those to be added.