Water Conservation Tips

Here are some simple ways you can help conserve water.

• Check your toilet for leaks. Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If the coloring begins to appear in the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a wasteful leak that should be repaired at once. Even a small leak can waste thousands of gallons a month.

• Put a plastic container or displacement bag in your toilet tank. Put an inch or two of sand or pebbles in the bottom of a quart or larger container and fill the rest of the container with water. Put the cap on and place the bottle in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanism. The container will save on each flush without impairing the efficiency of the toilet.

• Consider buying an ultra-low-flush toilet which uses only 1.6 instead of 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush.

• Install a water-saving shower head. You can save 20 or more gallons for a five-minute shower.

• Take shorter showers. Save up to 5 - 10 gallons for every minute you cut back.

• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and save up to 3 gallons each time.

• Turn off the water while you're shaving. Just fill the sink with a little water and rinse your razor. You can save up to 3 gallons.

• Use a broom instead of the hose.

• Check faucets and pipes for leaks. Even a small drip wastes more than 1500 gallons a month.

• Use your dishwasher for full loads only. Every load uses about 15 gallons.

• Use your automatic washing machine for full loads only. It uses up to 60 gallons per load.

• Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Instead rinse them in a sinkful of clean water.

• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator, so you won't have to run the tap to cool it.

• If you wash dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing.

• Water your lawn deeply and less frequently.

• Adjust sprinklers to water the lawn, not the pavement.

• Water early in the morning or late in the evening.

• Change watering schedule seasonally.

• Repair leaks immediately.

• Do not allow the hose to run as you wash your car. Use a self-closing hose nozzle, or turn off the water, between rinses.

For more information about how you can help conserve water, please visit www.bewaterwise.com from The Family of Southern California Water Agencies.

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