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This checklist is designed to help you see how effectively you are using water, and to alert you to ways to save. Some actions suggested are more severe than others and would need to be implemented only in an emergency situation---and are indicated as such.
As you read this list, check the steps you have already taken to conserve water. Note what you still need to do to become a better manager of water resources. Concentrate on the big water uses first. Inspect the plumbing system to see there are no leaks. Install flow control devices in showers. Or, limit the amount of shower water by the way you use the controls for the hot and cold water faucets, or a mixer faucet. Turn off all water if you are going to be away from home on a vacation or trip. This keeps children from turning on outside faucets while you are away. Check to see how often your home water softening equipment regenerates and backwashes. It can use as much as 100 gallons of water each time it does this. You may want to cut down on the use of such equipment. Reserve softened water for kitchen use, bathing, and laundry. Use unsoftened water for all other purposes. (This may require a bypassline but this is advisable under any circumstances). Insulate hot water pipes. Having to clear the "hot" line of cooled water is wasteful. Check all faucets, inside and out, for drips. Make repairs promptly. These problems get worse---never better. Teach children to turn water faucets off quickly and tightly after each use. A toilet leak can waste lots of water. Put a small amount of food coloring into the tank. If the color trickles into the bowl, there is a leak and repairs are needed. Water required to flush some toilets can be reduced. Experiment by placing a quart plastic (not glass) bottle filled with water in the flush tank to save 1 quart of water per flush. (Don't use a brick to fill space in your toilet flush tank. Particles from the brick could damage the valve). Or, you can adjust the float level of the toilet to reduce the amount of water necessary to flush the toilet. Do this carefully to avoid damaging the system. Try only a slight adjustment. Never use the toilet as a trash basket for facial tissues, etc. Each flush uses 5 to 7 gallons of water. Items carelessly thrown in could clog the system and adds to the sewage disposal problems. Laundry Wait until you have a full load before washing items, or use a lower water level setting. Save handwashing jobs and do several items at one time. Example: wash a weeks supply of hosiery rather than daily. Check garments to make sure they need washing. Don't wash clothes more often than necessary. Encourage children to change into play clothes after school so that school and play clothes can be worn several times. Personal Care Urge family members to take showers instead of tub baths. Showers---especially those fitted with flow restrictors or low-volume heads---usually use less water than a bath. Plug the tub during a shower and compare the water used with that for a bath. Limit shower time to 2 minutes or less. Cut down on the number of showers taken. Replace some of them with sponge baths using a small amount of water in a basin. Seek other ways to relax besides staying in the shower for long periods of time. Turn off shower water while you apply soap to body, or lather hair and massage scalp. Turn off water while you shave, brush teeth, etc. Food Preparation Use a pan of water when peeling and cleaning vegetables and fruits rather than letting the sink tap run. To get warm water, turn hot water on first; then add cold water as needed. You get warm water quicker this way and save water, too. Limit use of a garbage disposal. Save food scraps and run the disposal once to conserve water. You can use the disposal even less by saving food scraps for a compost pile. Use the smallest amount of water necessary to cook foods such as frozen vegetables and stews. You'll preserve nutrients as well as save water. A tight-fitting lid on a pan saves water from boiling away and also cooks food faster, thereby using less energy. Plan more one-dish meals in which vegetables are cooked or baked without adding water. Use a tea kettle or covered pan to heat water and avoid loss of water through evaporation. Time foods during the cooking process to avoid over cooking and loss of liquids through evaporation. Select the proper size pans for cooking. Large pans require more cooking water. Use a pressure cooker to save water, energy, and time. A bottle of drinking water kept cold in your refrigerator saves running the tap to get cold water. Save leftover vegetable juices for soups, cooking raw or frozen vegetables, stews, and making gravy. Refrigerate and use juices within a day or two. Using syrups and juices from canned goods saves water and makes foods taste better. Use leftover fruit juices for drinking and making gelatin salads. Meal Service Chill water in bottles in the refrigerator to avoid running excess water from the lines to get cold water for meals. Shake bottle before serving to incorporate air in the water so that it doesn't taste flat. Put drinking water on the table only if people really drink it. Dishwashing Cut down on the number of utensils used in food preparation, and on the plates and glassware used with meals. This will save on dishwashing water used to clean them. Wash only full loads of dishes in dishwasher. A dishwasher uses about 9 to 13 gallons of water per cycle. Avoid unnecessary rinsing of dishes that go into the dishwasher for immediate washing. Scrape if necessary. When washing dishes by hand, use one pan of soapy water for washing and a second pan of hot water for rinsing. Rinsing in a pan requires less water than rinsing under a running faucet. Household Cleaning Wipe up small spills as they occur to avoid frequent mopping of floors. Regularly vacuum carpets and rugs so you won't need to shampoo them as often. There is less danger of permanent stains when you take care of spots as they occur. "Collect" household cleaning chores. Do them together to save water. Clean the more lightly soiled surfaces first---the mirrors, walls, woodwork, and then floors. House Plants Use rinse water saved from bathing or clothes washing to water indoor plants. Do not use soapy water on indoor plants. It could damage them. Water indoor plants only when needed. Too much water can damage plants. Outside the Home Car washing, if you use the hose down method, can use a lot of water. You may have to lower your standards and wash the car less often. Use a bucket of warm sudsy water to remove soil from the car. Hose down only as a final rinse. Take advantage of a soft summer rain to wash your car. Get out there with soap and a sponge! Children will enjoy this. If water supply permits use of an outdoor pool, cover the pool when it's not being used to prevent evaporation. Clean the swimming pool filter often. Then you won't have to replace the water as often. Use a broom, not the hose, to "sweep" the garage, the sidewalks, and the driveway. Garden and Lawn Vegetables requiring more water should be grouped together in the garden to make maximum use of water applications. "Mulch" shrubs and other plants to retain moisture in the soil longer. Spread leaves, lawn clippings, chopped bark or cobs, or plastic around the plants. Mulching also controls weeds that compete with garden plants for water. Mulches should permit water to soak into the soil. Try "trickle" or "drip" irrigation systems in outdoor gardens. These methods use 25 to 50 percent less water than hose or sprinkler methods. The tube for the trickle system has many tiny holes to water closely spaced plants. The drip system tubing contains holes or openings at strategic places for tomatoes and other plants that are more widely spaced. If you are using a garden hose or sprinkler, water the garden thoroughly, but less frequently. Don't let water run down driveway or street. Lawns should be watered during hours when the water system experiences the least demand---usually avoid watering when windy or in heat of day---and keep track of the time. Set an alarm clock or timer as a reminder. A sprinkler left on overtime in one spot wastes water. Less frequent but heavier lawn watering encourages a deeper root system to withstand dry weather better. This information comes from USDA Program Aid 1192, Water Conservation Checklist for the Home. MSU 2003 |
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