Reducing your home’s water usage is a great way to positively impact the environment and reduce your water bills, especially during the year’s hottest months. If you’ve been trying to save water by taking speedy showers, there might be a better way.
Here are some of my top projects for reducing water usage.
Get efficient appliances and fixtures
Installing new appliances can be an easy way to make a big difference. Look for Energy-Star-rated appliances, such as dishwashers and washing machines, to have the most significant impact. As a bonus, a good dishwasher can also eliminate the need to pre-rinse your dishes, saving you both time and money. An Energy Star washing machine uses 33 percent less water than older models, and an Energy Star dishwasher can save as much as 3,900 gallons of water over the course of its lifetime.
The Environmental Protection Agency established the WaterSense program label to identify products that help you conserve water. Low-flow faucets with the WaterSense label offer as much as a 30 percent reduction in water flow, saving quite a bit of water in the long run.
Upgrade your toilets
Switching out your toilets for low-flow models can save you money. For example, switching out a toilet to a low-flow model can reduce your water consumption by as much as 20 percent. If you switch from an old toilet, which could use as much as 7 gallons per flush, to a WaterSense-approved toilet, you can lower your water use by as much as 20 percent to 60 percent.