Top Ways to Conserve Water

Americans are some of the biggest water consumers in the world, so it should come as no surprise that Americans are in great need of ways to conserve water. American Leak Detection, a leader in plumbing and leak detection services, asserts that water conservation is easy once it becomes a habit. Steven Nagel, owner of American Leak Detection’s Tampa office, says the following all are good ways to conserve water:

Outdoors

Lawn and Garden

1. Use shrubs and ground covers as an alternative to turf in areas like steep slopes and isolated strips. Shrubs are able to hold moisture better than plain grass on these types of terrains, and as a result, you’ll end up watering less.
2. Water your lawn and garden at times when evaporation is minimal, such as in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler.
3. Water your lawn and garden based on how much moisture is in the soil, not based on a watering schedule. A good rule of thumb is to water when moisture is more than 2 to 3 inches below the ground surface.
4. Inspect your outdoor faucets, sprinklers and hoses to make sure they don’t have any leaks, especially after they have not been used for a long time.
5. Keep your sprinkler heads in good condition by checking them periodically.
6. If you see any problematic sprinklers, pipes, or hydrants, report them right away to the owner of the property or to the company that provides the water.
7. Make sure your sprinklers are adjusted properly so that water doesn’t get sprayed and in turn, wasted, on your house or the sidewalk.

Pools

1. Put covers on pools and spas to slow evaporation.
2. Check the pumps for leaks.
3. Check the pool for leaks if you have an automatic refilling device; these devices keep the water level constant in the pool and may mask water loss.
4. Equip pools, fountains, and ponds with re-circulating pumps.
5. Use water from back flushing your pool for landscaping.

In the Bathroom

Showers

1. Check the efficiency of your showerhead. If a gallon bucket fills in under 20 seconds with the model you have, replace the showerhead to change the water flow.
2. Save up to 150 gallons monthly just by cutting 1 to 2 minutes from your shower.

Toilets

1. Put some food coloring or a blue toilet boil cleaner drop-in in the toilet tank and check to see if there is color in the toilet bowl between flushes. If there is, this indicates a leak problem that, if fixed, could save up to 1,000 gallons of water monthly.
2. Replace toilet flappers that don’t close after flushing.
3. Reduce water used by pre-1992 toilets by inserting displacement devices into the tanks.
4. Listen for the sound of the toilet running when it is not supposed to be.

Kitchen and Laundry

Save up to 1,000 gallons a month by running washing machines and dishwashers only when loads are full.

Pipes/Valves

1. Know the location of the master water shut-off valve so that you can stop water flow in emergencies or with bad leaks.
2. Get more immediate hot water and energy savings by insulating hot water pipes.
3. Listen for dripping faucets.

Miscellaneous Tips

1. Keep an eye on your water bill.
2. Perform routine water meter tests to make sure you do not have leaks. If the meter dial moves when all water is shut off, a leak is probable.
3. Put ice cubes you accidentally drop on the floor into a house plant instead of the sink.

Nagel emphasizes that there are hundreds of ways to conserve water. This is especially true given the immense creativity of product specialists and the continuing advances in technology. Specialists from American Leak Detection are trained to use these technologies to fix water conservation problems.