We all want to be a part of the environmentally-conscious movement. But let’s be honest, we also want to continue with life as we know it. Making radical changes to your routine is not going to be an easy task. Or one that is likely to last very long. But what if there were some effortless ways to save water that also saved you some time and money? Now that we have your attention, we have some great tips to eliminate water waste and help save a much-needed and limited natural resource. And along the way, you will save some of your own green stuff and even give up a few chores you don’t enjoy.
Quit Washing Your Car…At Home
This could sound like an excuse to get out of washing the car. But it is a great way to save some water and prevent soap and other chemicals from contaminating the groundwater. The average garden hose uses about 10 gallons of water per minute. So in 15 minutes of washing the car, spraying the driveway, and maybe your kids, you used 150 gallons of water. That doesn’t sound bad until you learn that the average drive-through carwash uses only 35 gallons of water per car. And at some captured and filtered the water for reuse. In addition, no soaps or chemicals are absorbed by the soil. So there are many benefits to the around $3.00 you will spend on that drive-through carwash.
Quit Washing Dishes…By Hand
Again, who likes to wash dishes? But we all think that hand washing a few items is better than loading them into the dishwasher. Well, that is not the case. The secret is only to run your dishwasher when it is full. And by doing that, you save a massive amount of water. Studies have determined that hand washing the equivalent of a dishwasher full of dishes consumes at least 27 gallons of water. But the average dishwasher gets the job done with only five gallons. So turn on your sponge and load those dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
Quit Showering… Without A Low Flow Showerhead
If you have not treated yourself to a new showerhead since the early 90s, you could be wasting a lot of water. Before the 1992 mandate limiting showerheads to a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute, the average was a gallon more at 3.5 GPM. The average person showers for eight minutes a day. And over the course of a year, that gallon per minute savings comes to over 2,900 gallons of water saved just by installing a new showerhead.
Quit Ignoring Leaks and Drips
Sure, that dripping faucet is annoying. But you have not gotten around to fixing it. Do you know how much water it is wasting? If a faucet drips just four times each minute, it will waste nearly 20 gallons of water a month and over 200 per year. That equals about four bathtubs full.
Now think about all the tiny drips and leaks around your home. If more than a few pop to mind, you are wasting at least a thousand gallons of water and the money you are paying for that water. But what about the leaks you can’t see? Those could be causing water damage to your home and promoting the growth of mold and mildew. If you are not handy, a call to (928) 597-1690 can have all those drips and leaks repaired by a licensed plumber from PHD. It will help you save a valuable natural resource and your hard-earned money.