Water Saving Tips

Our physical plant folks sent out this list of water saving tips to followup on the energy savings tips they sent previously. Again, I think they should be blogging them, but what do I know? (It’s a rhetorical question, please don’t answer.)

Limit the use of domestic hot water — use cold water whenever it will do.

  • Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth or washing your face. This can save up to 4 gallons a minute!
  • Take shorter showers. Even a one or two minute reduction can save up to 700 gallons per month!
  • Turn off the water while you shave and you can save more than 100 gallons a week.

Please report all steam, water, and air leaks…

  • Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. You can save more than 600 gallons a month.
  • Fixing a leaky faucet can save 140 gallons a week.

Run only full loads in the washing machine and dishwashers. This can save 300 to 800 gallons per month.

  • Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents when-ever possible.
  • Let your dishes air dry; if you don’t have an automatic air-dry switch (on your dishwasher), turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little so the dishes will dry faster.

Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily — Dispose of tissues, insects and other such waste in the trash rather than the toilet.