Celebrate Earth Day with These Water-Saving Tips
In honor of Earth Day 2015, your H2O Pros at LaGrow Irrigation have compiled a list of 5 ways that you can conserve water in and around your home. Not only can you feel good about doing your part to protect this valuable resource, but you can also save a little money by reducing your water bills at the same time. It’s good for both you and for the planet.
1. Turn the water off
Leaving the faucet running while brushing your teeth, shaving or doing the dishes is how many families waste tons of water. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), turning the tap off while you brush your teeth can save up to 8 gallons of water per day.
2. Add aerators to all of your faucets
Aerators can reduce the water used in a single faucet by as much as 60%. Look for water-saving aerators, and you can save even more water. By adding air into the flow of water, you are able to rinse and clean more dishes with less water. Just think, if every house in America installed water-saving aerators, it would save more than 60 billion gallons of water per year.
3. Check for leaks
Leaky pipes or faucets can cause serious water damage. You can fix a leaky faucet many times by simply replacing a stem or cartridge without replacing the entire faucet which can be costly. Also, a leaking toilet can waste up to 90 gallons of water per day. To check if you have a leak, place some food coloring in the tank to see if the color leaks into the bowl without flushing. If so, try replacing your toilet flapper.
4. Run full loads only
When you are doing laundry or running the dishwasher, make sure to minimize water usage by only running full loads of laundry. You can save between 300 and 800 gallons of water per month by doing so. And, if you have only a few dishes to wash, wash them by hand.
5. Choose a shower over a bath, and take shorter showers
According to the EPA, a five-minute shower uses only 10 to 25 gallons of water while filling a bathtub can use up to 70 gallons of water. A 10 minute shower with an older showerhead can use up to 80 gallons of water. Try speeding up your shower time and you can significantly reduce the amount of water you use every day.
In honor of Earth Day 2015, your H2O Pros at LaGrow Irrigation have compiled a list of 5 ways that you can conserve water in and around your home. Not only can you feel good about doing your part to protect this valuable resource, but you can also save a little money by reducing your water bills at the same time. It’s good for both you and for the planet.
1. Turn the water off
Leaving the faucet running while brushing your teeth, shaving or doing the dishes is how many families waste tons of water. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), turning the tap off while you brush your teeth can save up to 8 gallons of water per day.
2. Add aerators to all of your faucets
Aerators can reduce the water used in a single faucet by as much as 60%. Look for water-saving aerators, and you can save even more water. By adding air into the flow of water, you are able to rinse and clean more dishes with less water. Just think, if every house in America installed water-saving aerators, it would save more than 60 billion gallons of water per year.
3. Check for leaks
Leaky pipes or faucets can cause serious water damage. You can fix a leaky faucet many times by simply replacing a stem or cartridge without replacing the entire faucet which can be costly. Also, a leaking toilet can waste up to 90 gallons of water per day. To check if you have a leak, place some food coloring in the tank to see if the color leaks into the bowl without flushing. If so, try replacing your toilet flapper.
4. Run full loads only
When you are doing laundry or running the dishwasher, make sure to minimize water usage by only running full loads of laundry. You can save between 300 and 800 gallons of water per month by doing so. And, if you have only a few dishes to wash, wash them by hand.
5. Choose a shower over a bath, and take shorter showers
According to the EPA, a five-minute shower uses only 10 to 25 gallons of water while filling a bathtub can use up to 70 gallons of water. A 10 minute shower with an older showerhead can use up to 80 gallons of water. Try speeding up your shower time and you can significantly reduce the amount of water you use every day.