We are all looking for some ways to save money around the home. Cutting our
energy and utility costs is one way to reach that goal. Here are some ideas on how
to save on your water bill. The following statistics are savings based on a family of
two adults and one child.
1. Shorten your shower by one to two minutes (saves up to 700 gal/mo.).
2. While you wait for water to get hot, catch it in a watering can to use later on
plants or the garden (saves 100-300 gal/mo).
3. Fix leaking faucets and plumbing joints (saves 20 gal/day per leak).
4. Run full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher (saves up to 200
gal/week).
5. Keep a bottle in the refrigerator for drinking instead of running the tap for cold
water (saves 200-300 gal/mo).
6. Rinse vegetables in a filled sink or pan (saves 150-250 gal/mo).
7. In warm weather, water the lawn only when needed, or just give it a good soak
once a week. If the grass springs back when you step on it, there's no
need to water (saves 750-1500 gal/mo).
8. Use mulch to cover bare ground in gardens and around trees to slow down
evaporation (saves 750-1500 gal/mo).
9. Don't cut grass too short. Longer grass cuts down on evaporation (saves
500-1500 gal/mo)
OH NO!
The bath tub is overflowing...
What do I do?
With a shut-off valve installed on your water line, you can easily turn off the water and avoid the flood.
If your water meter was installed before 1993, you probably don’t have any way to turn off your water in an emergency,
like a broken water pipe or an overflowing bathtub. By simply having your plumber install a shut-off valve on your incoming
water line, you can have the control you need should an emergency such as this ever happen to you.
If you already have a shut-off valve on your water line, it would be a good idea to locate it and show everyone in your family
where it is and how to operate it. They are generally located either on the “house side” of your water meter box or on your
incoming water line about five feet from your house.
A broken water pipe or an overflowing bathtub is a bad thing. Not having a way to turn the water off is a disaster waiting to happen!
