Change Habits

It’s easy to get into habits that waste resources. Here are some opportunities to consume less water.

• When brushing your teeth, don’t let the water run the entire time you. Instead, try wetting your toothbrush and turning off the water. Add the paste or gel, brush and turn on the water momentarily for the spit and rinse.
• Don’t let the water run as you shave. Instead, turn it on when you want to rinse the razor or shaving cream or gel.
• A full bath tub requires about 70 gallons of water while taking a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons. Water use in a tub is directly dependent upon its volume—the larger the tub, the more water it takes to fill it up.
• When showering, try turning off the water between soaping and rinsing.
• If you take a bath, first put the stopper in the drain and adjust the water temperature as you fill the tub.

• Household water and sewer charges. Water-sewer bills typically charge per unit of water that flows through your meter. By switching to water-saving fixtures, fixing leaks and changing wasteful habits, you will cut the amount and reduce your annual bill.
• Infrastructure and operating charges. You might be able to reduce the municipal portion of your annual tax bill. If everyone in a community reduced their water use, a community’s need to expand its treatment plant or to look further for water supplies will be eliminated or delayed. In addition, the electricity consumed by American public water supply and treatment facilities—about 50 billion kilowatt hours per year, according to WaterSense—would be reduced.
• Rebates. It could pay to upgrade. Check to see if your local utility or government is among those offering $25 to even $300 to replace old plumbing fixtures.
• Fines. You might even save yourself the possibility of paying penalties. In some area with severe water shortages, communities are considering ordinances that make it unlawful to sell property unless it is fitted with water-saving plumbing fixtures.