Don’t force the dog days of summer to make you think about water conservation. Your every day behavior can make a big difference.
Here’s some proof. The average slow dripping or leaking faucet wastes 3 gallons of water a day. If you turn off the water while brushing your teeth, you can save up to 8 gallons a day. Turn off the shower while you’re lathering up and save as much as 10 gallons per minute. Of course shorter showers and less bathwater are good steps as well. On the other hand, wash dishes by hand and you’re likely to use six times as much water as the typical dishwashing machine. Finally, run dishwashing and clothes washing machines only when you have a full load. Then there’s the water you can be reusing. If you keep a rain barrel and use it for outdoor watering you’ll save well over 1,000 gallons in a year’s time. Keep a small bucket in your shower and use the water you collect to water your plants. Less use and re-use can help you dramatically with water conservation.