How to Conserve Water for Kids

Teaching kids how to take care of the environment and to conserve water and energy while they are young sets good habits that last for a lifetime. Most of the best tips for water conservation for both kids and adults are not complicated. Consistency is the key. Using just one less gallon of water a day per person would conserve about 85 billion gallons of water per year. There are simple tips that kids can use to help those water savings add up, but the best way to teach kids to conserve water is for parents to lead by example.

Instructions

• 1

  Turn the water all the way off when you are finished using the sink. Don't let the water drip. You waste a gallon of water with every 15,000 drops.

• 2

  Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth. Only turn the water on a little to wet your toothbrush and to rinse out the sink and your mouth. You will save about two gallons per minute.

• 3

  Flush the toilet only when you defecate. Since most trips to the bathroom only involve urination, this will save two to three gallons per flush.

• 4

  Tell the restaurant waiter not to bring water to the table unless you are going to drink it. It takes two glasses of water to wash each glass, so you save three glasses of water. That's almost a gallon for a family of four.

• 5

  Rinse your fruits, veggies and dishes in a sink or tub of water instead of running the faucet and use the water for plants and flowers. You can save two or three gallons.

• 6

  Take a shorter shower or fill the bathtub with less water. Each minute of your shower uses as much as five gallons of water. A bathtub holds 30 to 40 gallons, so using a bathtub with only a little water in it uses less water than a five-minute shower.

• 7

  Water plants only when they need it. Use your finger and check if the dirt by the roots is moist. If it is, then your plants don't need water.

• 8

  Use the sprinkler to play in only the parts of the yard that need to be watered. Move it around to different areas of the yard to water as you play.

• 9

  Go around the house with your parents and look for leaks. You can hold the tools when they fix them.