Sioux Valley Energy - Conserve Water and Save Energy In Your Home

Conserve Water and Save Energy In Your Home
Many cities and states across the United States are facing drought-like conditions this summer due to the lack of rainfall over the last several years and an escalation in the amount of water the population uses. The American Water Works Association states that the average American consumes 86.2 gallons of water per day through drinking, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, cooking, flushing the toilet and watering the lawn and garden. It may be a surprise to learn that total water use in the U.S. has jumped from 140 billion gallons in 1940 to 408 billion gallons today, all while our supply of fresh water is diminishing. In spite of these troubling figures, there is a lot we can do in our homes to conserve water and cut down on energy costs.
Toilets use about 40 percent of the water we use in our homes—up to 3.5 gallons per flush. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that in the U.S. more than 4.8 billion gallons of water is flushed down toilets each day. On top of that, many toilets leak, wasting up to 200 gallons of water per day. One common way to check for leaks is to put a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If the coloring ends up in the bowl, you know you’ve got a leak and it’s time to consult a local plumber or hardware store on how to repair the problem. It should be a relatively easy fix.

Installing a low-flush toilet that uses, by comparison, a meager 1.6 gallons per flush also will conserve water. Homes built after January 1, 1994, are required to install toilets that operate on 1.6 gallons or less per flush. However, there are alternatives to low-flush toilets when aiming to conserve water.

Take several quart-sized plastic bottles, fill them with water and stones and place them in your toilet tank. Even better, install a toilet dam. Toilet dams are plastic or rubber coated shields that fit inside your tank and hold back a gallon or two with each flush.

According to the EPA, showering accounts for about 20 percent of total indoor water use. Typically, a showerhead uses up to nine gallons a minute. Modern low-flow showerhead designs can deliver a refreshing and satisfying shower with less than a third of that volume of water. Low-flow showerheads are now required for new installation or replacements, so if you own home with older fixtures this may be worth investigating.

Many homeowners dread the repetitious annoyance of dripping faucet. More than just an inconvenience or cause of insomnia, it’s also quite expensive. Dripping faucets can cost homeowners up to 15 gallons of water per day. Fixing the problem might be as easy as springing for some low-cost washers. Taking it a step further, two inexpensive devises, available at most home improvement stores, will save gallons in the kitchen or bathroom.

Spray taps dispense water like a shower, making washing and rinsing more efficient. Most have adaptors that are easy to attach to faucet spouts. Faucet aerators mix air with faucet water to reduce the water flow. Similar to spray taps, aerators usually come with screw-on adaptors.

While changing or adding to fixtures in your kitchen and bathroom to stop leaks is crucial to conserving water, equally important is changing habits. Building a few water-saving habits into your routine will not only conserve resources, but also will reduce utility bills. Here are a few things you can do:

Don't let water run when you brush your teeth, wash your hands, shave, rinse foods or wash dishes. One minute with the faucet off can save up to three gallons of water.

Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full. If you do run smaller loads, make sure settings are adjusted.

Use mulch to reduce evaporation in your landscaping. Mulch helps soil stay moist and reduces weeds—which steal precious resources from flowers and shrubs—and allow you to water your garden less often. Consider investing in a timed device that will dispense water over night from midnight to 6:00 a.m. Raising the lawn mower blade to at least three inches will encourage grass roots to grow deeper and hold moisture better than a shortly clipped lawn as well.

Avoid using large amounts of water during peak energy demand times, typically between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Instead of using a hose, use a broom to sweep leaves and other debris from your driveway, deck and sidewalks.

All of us have an opportunity to help our nation conserve water by using these suggestions to fix problems that contribute to wasted water and modify habits to reduce energy costs.