Test if you have leaks and fix them immediately - A leaky toilet - which may be silent and completely unnoticed - can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day. Check for toilet tank leaks by adding food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear in the toilet bowl within 30 minutes. (Flush as soon as test is done, since food coloring may stain tank.)- Fix a leaky faucet - Even small drips can waste a lot of water over time. Learn how easy it is to fix a leaky facuet with GEF's video!
- Use less water - Be aware of how much water you waste as you wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash the car, or let the shower get warm, and take action to turn the water off as often as possible.
- If you use the toilet as a disposal for tissues, bugs, or dust start using a trash bin instead to eliminate excess flushing.
Replace old appliances and fixtures with products with the EPA WaterSense label - “The WaterSense label means that a product has been independently tested for water efficiency and performance so you can be sure your fixture will not only save water, but work well,” said Stephanie Thornton of EPA’s WaterSense program. “Over the past five years, WaterSense has helped Americans save 125 billion gallons of water and $2 billion in utility bills.” Learn more about water-saving plumbing fixtures. - Replace old products with Energy Star products - It takes water to produce energy. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that if one out of every 100 American homes was retrofitted with water-efficient fixtures, we could save about 100 million kWh of electricity per year and avoid adding 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas to the atmosphere.[iii] Energy Star approves a range of products including lightbulbs, dishwashers, windows, computers, air conditioners, and even entire buildings. Learn more at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.
- Watch this fun animation for an easy tip you can do everyday at home!
Eat less meat - Pledge to participate in Meatless Mondays. The production of meat requires growing grains or grass pastures and watering the animals, as well as for processing, packaging, transporting, and more. Producing 1 pound of beef requires 1,799 gallons of water.- Insulate your pipes - By wrapping your water pipes with insulation you keep the cold water colder and hot water hotter which reduces the time it takes to reach the desired temperature.
- Thaw food overnight or in a microwave - Avoid using hot water to thaw meats or other frozen foods.
- Only run the dishwasher and washing machine when they are fully loaded.
- Turn off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth.
- If you accidentally drop ice cubes when filling your glass from the freezer or have some left over in a cup, don't throw them in the sink. Drop them in a house plant instead.
- Scrape food waste off dishes and add it to a compost pile instead of rinsing before loading it into the dishwasher or using the garbage disposal. Check out GEF's Do's and Don'ts for composting!
- Gather water for irrigation or cleaning by placing a bucket in the shower as you wait for it to warm up.
- Use a wash basin to rinse fruits and vegetables instead of running the tap.
- Take shorter showers – Shortening your showers even by just one or two minutes can save up to 150 gallons of water per month!
- Always recycle and dispose of trash properly - never flush non-degradable objects down the toilet, as they can damage sewage treatment and end up littering beaches or other bodies of water. Take a look at GEF's lesson, Where Litter Ends Up, to see the connection between litter and and water pollution.
