Water Saving Guides

Outside Your Home

Method Approximate Water Savings
Water your garden with a deep soak once weekly rather than several shallow times per week. 50 gallons per week in Summer
Water your yard at night or early in the morning to prevent rapid evaporation during the heat of the day. 35 gallons per ½ acre per watering
Use a garden hose nozzle which can be shut off when not in use, and adjusted to a fine spray. 5 gallons per minute
Use a broom or rake to remove leaves and debris from driveway, walkways, patios, and pool decks. 40 gallons per 5 minutes of usage
Cover swimming pool to reduce evaporation. Yearly equivalent of the pool’s volume for average sized pools
Wash your car at home, rather than a car wash. 500 gallons per wash
Wash with bucket and sponge rather than hose. Reuse water for chrome, hub caps, and wheels. 85 gallons or more per wash

Other Areas of Your Home

Method Approximate Water Savings
Wait to wash clothes until you have a full load. Up to 30 gallons of water per load not washed
Purchase new washing machine with water-saving features. 10-20 gallons per load
Insulate hot water pipes to avoid running water while waiting for it to get hot. Up to 8 gallons per person per day

Kitchen

Method Approximate Water Savings
When hand-washing, wash from a filled basin, not with running water. 25 gallons per day
Run dishwasher only when full, once per day or less. 10-12 gallons for each cycle not run
Run dishwasher on short cycle. 3-4 gallons per cycle
Install a low flow faucet. 2.5 gallons per minute
Use a bowl of water and brush to clean foods, fruits and vegetables instead of running water over them. 2-10 gallons
Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator. 5 gallons or more per meal

Bathroom

Method Approximate Water Savings
Take a 5 minute shower instead of a bath. 15 gallons
Install a low-flow shower head to reduce water use by 50%. 3 gallons per minute per shower
Bathe in a tub billed less than ½ full with water. 10-15 gallons per bath
Install 1.6 gallon toilet. 4 gallons per flush
For older toilets, place water filled plastic jug in toilet tank, away from working parts. Up to 2 gallons per flush
Flush half as often as toilet is used. 12 gallons per person per day
Don’t use toilet as wastebasket, flush only when essential. 12 gallons per person per day
When brushing your teeth, turn off tap while brushing. 2 gallons per person per day
When shaving, partially fill basin (a few inches) instead of running tap. 2 gallons per person per day
Replace old faucets. 2.5 gallons per minute per person