How to Practice Water Conservation

There are many good reasons to practice water conservation. Conserving water will help the environment, it will preserve our precious supply of drinking water, it saves energy required to transport, store and heat the water and it will save money on your water bill. Consider practicing some easy but effective conservation measures.

Instructions

• 1

  Practice conservation when watering your lawn. Only water when absolutely necessary; if the grass is springy when you step on it, it's wet enough.

• 2

  Adjust your sprinklers so that they don't waste water by running on the sidewalk or driveway. Even better, consider using soaker hoses instead. If you choose to use sprinklers, don't water on windy days when much of the water will evaporate. If you have automatic sprinklers, deactivate them when it rains.

• 3

  Patronize car washes that recycle the wash water. If you wash your car at home, drive it onto the lawn so the water won't be wasted. Don't leave the hose running, but use it only to wet your car and to rinse it when you're done washing it.

• 4

  Check your plumbing for leaks and repair leaky faucets. Leaky toilets and dripping faucets add up to an average of 14 percent of all indoor water use. To prevent leaky toilets, replace the rubber flapper in the tank at least every three years and more often if it is worn out.

• 5

  Run your dishwasher and washing machine only when you have enough dishes or dirty clothes for a full load. If you can't wait, adjust the water level according to the size of the load. Don't pre-rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.

• 6

  Replace older toilets with water-conserving toilets, or as an alternative, install a water-saving device to displace some of the water in the tank. A sealed plastic container full of sand will work, but be sure that it still allows a complete flush.

• 7

  Save water in the shower by installing a low-flow shower head. You can also save a significant amount of water in the shower by taking shorter showers and by turning off the water while shaving or lathering up soap and shampoo. Showers require less water than baths, but don't turn the water on full force.