According to the EPA, a full 36 states will be experiencing serious water shortages by the year 2013
. Conserving water as much as possible at home will go a long way toward alleviating this imminent problem and it will also save a substantial amount of money on your water bills! Here are 10 water-wise tips that any household can implement.
1. Repair that drippy faucet immediately: Did you know that even a small slow drip can waste up to two dozen gallons of water in a single day? Drips are not just annoying: they're wasteful! If you are not handy with tools, call a plumbing professional to have the problem taken care of once and for all.
2. Set the timer when your kids take a shower: Teenagers are especially notorious for taking long, leisurely showers: at 20 gallons or more per session, the waste can really add up. If you set a timer for 5 minutes, everyone will shower more responsibly and take care of business faster.
3. Replace your shower head: In addition to using a timer, you can also install water-saving shower heads to cut down on waste. A regular shower head puts out five to 10 gallons of water a minute whereas the water-saving variety emits only between two to three gallons.
4. Only wash full loads of laundry, and don't run your dishwasher until it is full: These water-consuming appliances are some of the worst water hogs in the house; use them sparingly.
5. Insulate your water pipes: There are plenty of inexpensive foam pipe insulation products on the market that will help you get hot water faster and prevent waste as the water heats up. If your primary shower is a long way from the water heater, you can also have a cost-effective heat pump installed.