10 Water Saving Tips

It’s Water Conservation Week!

Utah is a desert! Despite all of the rain and snow we have had this year, we all need to find ways to actively reduce the amount of water we waste, and find ways to make smarter water choices. Saving water is crucial to the health of our environment, and it saves money!

Here are ten tips to help reduce water waste:

1) Slow The Flow

Install a low-flow faucet on each of your faucets and a low-flow shower head in the bathroom. You’ll keep the water pressure high, but reduce your average household water usage by up to 45 gallons a day.

2) Flush Smarter

Toilets flush around 3.5 gallons of water per flush. Only flush when you have to! If you’re building a new home or are considering a remodel, there are many great, environmentally friendly options for dual-flush toilets that conserve water with every flush.

For a DIY low-flow version, place 2 plastic bottles weighed down with pebbles and water inside your toilet tank (away from mechanical parts). Just make sure there are at least 3 gallons of water remaining in the tank so it flushes properly - otherwise you’ll have to flush twice and miss the whole point!

3) Put Less In The Drain

Compost food and vegetable waste instead of using water to flush it down the garbage disposal.

4) Turn It Off

This water conservation tip is an oldie, but a goodie - turn off the tap while brushing your teeth. And when shaving, fill up the sink with a few inches of water to rinse off the blade, instead of keeping the faucet running.

5) Dish Washing

If you have a dishwasher, make sure to only run full loads to make good use of all that water. If you’re washing by hand, fill up the sink to conserve water rather than keep the faucet running.

6) Think Ahead

If you like your drinking water cold, keep a water filter pitcher in the refrigerator rather than running the tap until it gets cold each time. That way you’ll stay hydrated and not waste a drop!

7) Check For Leaks

To check if your toilet is leaking, put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. Wait 15 minutes - if you see color in the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak!

8) Designate A Glass

Give each person in your household a designated glass or reusable water bottle, so they don’t grab a new glass each time they want a drink. As an added bonus, you'll seriously cut down on the number of dishes you have to wash!

9) Catch What You Can

Place a bucket in the shower with you or under your rain spout to collect water and reuse it to water your plants and lawn.

1 Grow It Out

Raise your lawnmower blade so it doesn’t cut the grass too short. Longer grass shades the soil, so it holds moisture longer. And when you do water your lawn, make sure it's during the cooler morning or evening hours to minimize evaporation and conserve water.

Also, consider installing a drought resistant landscape in your yard!