Indoor Water Conservation Tips

  • Check your toilets for leaks. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank, wait 10 minutes, then check to see if dye appears in the bowl. If it does, you have a leak!
  • Defrost frozen food overnight in the fridge instead of under running water.
  • Don't use your toilet as a trash can for tissues.
  • Install low-flow aerators on sink faucets, and turn off the water while soaping your hands or brushing your teeth.
  • Limit use of garbage disposals; consider composting food scraps instead.
  • Replace old clothes washers with new, water-efficient models. Older washers use as much as 40 gallons per load, while newer efficient models use only about 10 gallons!
  • Replace old plumbing fixtures and appliances with new EPA WaterSense models.
  • Take shorter showers. A 5 minute shower uses 10 - 15 gallons; a 20 minute shower use 40 - 50 gallons! Save even more by turning off the water while shampooing.
  • Use the dishwasher instead of hand-washing dishes. Newer models use only a few gallons of water per load.
  • Wash only full loads of laundry, or use the load size selector for smaller loads.
  • Wash produce in a pan of cool water instead of under running water.