Between 30 and 70 percent of the water used by homeowners is used outdoors. Water usage in the summer time skyrockets as the heat rises and the grass starts growing. People are watering their gardens, their lawns, and themselves as a means to fight back against the heat of the season. Water usage, however, is becoming an increasingly serious issue as global temperature rises. In recent years, droughts have affected much of the continental United States, from California to the Carolinas. Most of us have become familiar with the concept of local water bans; limits on water usage for things like watering the lawn, washing cars, etc. However one good practice to get into is conserving water usage even when your area isn't in a time of drought. Follow these tips to start conserving water. They'll help you save money and help you do your small part for the environment as well.

Tips for conserving water outdoors

• Sprinkler systems. Homes with sprinkler systems use significantly more water than those without. Sprinkler systems often water the grass when it doesn't need it or it overwaters. Properly setting up your sprinkler system will keep your water bill down.
• Watering the grass. Before you water the grass, determine if it needs water. Will it rain soon? Step on the grass and see if it springs back. If it does, you might want to hold off.
• Keep the grass long. The roots grow deeper when the grass grows longer. Deeper roots mean the grass taps into groundwater deeper into the earth, so you won't need to water as much.

Indoor water conservation

• Replace old faucets and shower heads. Upgrading to more efficient faucets and shower heads will significantly cut down on water usage. If you're concerned about water pressure in the shower, go with a shower head designed for such a purpose.
• Use a shower bucket. When you're heating up water for your shower, catch it in a bucket and use it to water your indoor and outdoor plants. Or, take the opportunity to wash your tub with this water.
• Only run the dishwasher when it's full. Many people don't want to wait to wash the dishes, but doing so will conserve a lot of water in the long run.
• Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth and washing hands. These are habits that might take some time to break, but they're well worth the effort. Keeping the water running while washing your hands and brushing your teeth uses exponentially more water than is needed.
• Go to the car wash. Instead of washing your car at home where the water you use runs off into the ground, head to a car wash that utilizes recycled water to wash cars.
• Wash dishes by hand efficiently. If you don't own a dishwasher or only have a few dishes that need to be washed, do so efficiently. Don't keep the water running while you're scrubbing the dishes, or fill the sink with a couple inches of water and use this for washing all the dishes you have.

Tweet

More areas are struggling with droughts today. Conserving water has become a necessity. Even if the area you live in isn’t drought-stricken, cutting back on water use has many benefits for you and the environment. You’ll have a lower utility bill for one. You’ll also help to conserve the most precious resource on the planet. There’s plenty of ways that you can conserve water. You’ll be happy that you implemented some of these tips into your daily routine. Small changes in your life can make a big impact on your water bill and the environment. 

Turn Off Water While You Brush Your Teeth Or Wash Your Hands

Did you know that water comes out of the faucet at an average of 2.5 gallons per minute? That’s quite a lot of water to waste while you’re merely brushing your teeth or washing your hands. Turn off the tap while you brush (you’re supposed to brush for 2 full minutes!) or scrub your hands. Think of how many gallons of water you’ll save over a week’s time if you shut the water off even for those few seconds! Water is a precious resource and we should use it wisely. 

Put A Bucket In The Shower

This sounds like kind of a crazy idea. You know how long it takes the shower to heat up every morning, and now you can save that water which normally heads down the drain. Place a bucket in the tub while the water heats up. You can use that water later for watering plant or keeping the lawn fresh. This way, nothing will go to waste! 

Take A Shorter Shower

We all love to hang out in the shower for a bit, but taking a shower is one of the biggest uses of water in our homes. A shower uses about 2.1 gallons of water per minute. That means the typical 8 minute shower consumes somewhere around 16 gallons of water. If you cut your showers by even one minute, you’d save 14 gallons of water a week! That’s nothing to sneeze at! 

Flush Less

You know the old saying, “If it’s yellow let it mellow.” Maybe this tip isn’t for everyone, but your toilet is the fixture that uses the most water in your home. Higher efficiency toilets use about 1.5 gallons per flush, but older toilets can use anywhere between 3.5 and 7 gallons of water per flush! Consider flushing the toilet a bit less for the sake of water conservation! 

Load The Dishwasher Fully

The dishwasher is a fantastic invention and a necessity in our homes. Every time you run the dishwasher, it uses between 4 and 6 gallons of water. When you run the machine, be sure that it’s full of dirty dishes to avoid putting it on too often. 

Tweet