Water Saving Tips

• It takes about 80 gallons of water to clean a patio with a hose. Instead, use a broom and get some exercise at the same time.
• Upgrade to a low-flow toilet. Old toilets use 5 to 7 gallons of water per flush. New ones use 1.6 gallons. Figuring that each person flushes five times a day, that's a savings of 27 gallons per day, per person.
• Upgrade your washing machine. Old washing machines use 50 gallons of water per cycle. New ones cut it almost in half, to 27 gallons.
• Upgrade your dishwasher. Old dishwashers use about 16 to 20 gallons of water per cycle. New ones use 11 gallons.
• Use a hose with an on/off nozzle. One unattended hose can pour out 600 gallons of water an hour. Twenty unattended hoses can spew out enough water in an hour to fill a small swimming pool.
• For a green lawn, try applying iron sulfate or chelated iron before using a full-spectrum fertilizer. Iron may be all that is required to green-up your grass.
• Mulch that's two-to-three inches thick greatly reduces plants' water requirements.
• Redirect gutters to spill water away from paved areas to where its needed, on flower beds, trees and shrubs.
• Don't fertilize your grass until the rainy season begins. A fertilized lawn grows more vigorously, which requires more water. When you do fertilize, use a slow-release, water insoluble fertilizer that isn't washed away in rain or irrigation.
• Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth or shaving. This can conserve 150 gallons of water each month, which is 1,800 gallons in a year.
• Opt for a shower over a bath. Filling the tub for a bath can use as much as 50 gallons of water.
• Use low-flow showerheads. They save 350 lbs. in CO2 emissions and $150/year. They also use less than 2.5 gallons of water per minute, about half as much as traditional showerheads.
• Trade your hose for a watering can to conserve water.

Download all water saving tips here.