Tips to Conserve Water in Your Home

Wichita is facing possible water restrictions due to drought conditions. See the drought updates on the city’s website. You can save money and help conserve natural resources by managing your water usage more efficiently. Here are some suggestions for every homeowner and business.

Shower or Bath?

If you’re looking to conserve water, a short shower is the best option. A bath typically uses around 30-60 gallons of water while a five-minute shower only uses between 10-25 gallons. If you do take a bath, instead of draining the water you can save it to water plants or for other common household needs.

Turn Taps Off When Brushing Teeth and Shaving

Running a faucet uses around two gallons of water per minute. When you’re brushing your teeth or shaving, leaving the tap running can waste a lot of water. When brushing your teeth you can save water by only running the faucet when rinsing. For shaving, rinse your razor in a pool of water with the sink stopper in to avoid running water the entire time. Avoid running the faucet constantly when it is not actively in use.

Sprinkler Systems

Many people waste a lot of water on their lawn. Most lawns only need 1-2 inches of water each week. Investing in a smart timer, rain sensor, and flow meter will help you drastically reduce water waste. Even without these tools, just knowing the proper amount of water will have a big impact. Learn more about lawn watering here.

Leaky Sinks and Toilets

A running toilet will waste around 200 gallons of water each day. A leaking faucet will waste around 3,000 gallons per year. If you notice your faucets or toilets need repair, have it done immediately. This will save hundreds if not thousands of gallons of water from being wasted.

Washing Produce

By filling a bowl or pot with water and washing your produce, you’ll save a lot of water of the course of the year. You can then place the produce in a colander over the bowl or pot to dry and recollect the water used in washing. You can then use the water for other purposes, such as water plants or other household uses.

Install Rain Barrels

Rain barrels collect rainwater from your roof and/or downspouts. The water stored in the barrel can be used for things like watering flower beds and gardens, washing cars, filling fountains, etc. One hour of rain will typically fill a 50 gallon barrel.

Loading Your Dishwasher

Having to re-wash dishes because you loaded your dishwasher incorrectly is another common way we waste water. Making sure you load your dishwasher the right way will eliminate dishes from still being dirty after a wash and save water. Refer to your dishwasher’s manual for questions on how to correctly load dishes.

Laundry and Permanent Press Cycle

Using the permanent press cycle on your washing machine is sometimes necessary, but avoid it if you can. Permanent press adds an average of five gallons of water to each laundry load for the extra rinse it uses. You can also reduce water waste when doing laundry by running only full loads, and re-using towels and clothing items more than once.

Cover Your Pool

Cover your pool when not in use. Swimming pools lose a lot of water due to evaporation. Covering your pool can help reduce this waste.

We do our best to provide current and accurate information, but this content could contain errors or information that is not correct for your situation or equipment. Resources found on our website are provided as general information. Reddi Industries does not assume any liability resulting from the provided information. If you attempt to repair or modify plumbing, electrical, or other equipment in your home or business, always consult your equipment’s operating manual first, and only do so if you are qualified.