There are many reasons why California is a great place to live. But as recent droughts have shown, we have to take care of the state we all know and love. We can all do our part to conserve water, even when we’re not in the middle of an official drought. In particular, here are ways that homeowners can their water usage.
- If you have a leaky pipe or faucet, get it fixed right away by a professional plumber. In fact, one leaky faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year!
- Install an aerator to your sink faucet. This is a mesh screen that adds air to the stream, significantly reducing the volume of water being used. If you already have an aerator, check to make sure it’s clean of mineral deposits, and replace it if necessary.
- Replace old toilets with a low-flush model. Newer toilets use less than 2 gallons per flush while older ones can use around 4 gallons.
- Swap out your standard showerhead with a low-flow head that can reduce the amount of water you use per shower by around 25%.
- Don’t let the water run continuously when washing dishes by hand. Instead, partially fill the sink with soapy water, scrub all the dishes, then rinse them all at once with the spray attachment.
- While we’re on the topic of not running the faucet, don’t waste water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
- Try to only run the dishwasher or laundry machine with full loads.
- Use an automatic timer for your outdoor sprinkler system. These days, you can even get a system that you can control with your phone from anywhere.
As you can see, all of these tips are pretty small and simple. But if we all do our part as homeowners, we can make a huge difference in the environment and our lifestyle here in California.