1. Check faucets and pipes for leaks
A small drip from a worn faucet washer can waste 80 litres of water per day. Larger leaks can waste hundreds of litres of water.
2. Don't use the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket
Every time you flush a cigarette butt, facial tissue or other small bit of trash, 9 to 20 litres of water is wasted.
3. Check your toilets for leaks
Put a little food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately. Most replacement parts are inexpensive and easy to install.
4. Use your water meter to check for hidden water leaks
Read the house water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.
5. Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators
Inexpensive water-saving low-flow shower heads or restrictors are easy for the homeowner to install. Also, long, hot showers can use 10 to 20 litres of unneeded water per minute. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down and rinse off.
You can easily install a Shower Start showerhead, or add a Shower Start converter to existing showerheads, which automatically pauses a running shower once it gets warm.
All household faucets should be fit with aerators
6. Take shorter showers.
One way to cut down on water use is to turn off the shower after soaping up, then turn it back on to rinse.
7. Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush
There is no need to keep the water running while brushing your teeth. Just wet your brush and fill a glass for mouth rinsing.
8. Rinse your razor in the sink
Fill the sink with a few inches of warm water. This will rinse your razor just as well as running water, with far less waste of water.
9. Minimize use of kitchen sink garbage disposal units
In-sink 'garburators' require lots of water to operate properly, and also add considerably to the volume of solids in a septic tank which can lead to maintenance problems. Start a compost pile as an alternate method of disposing food waste.
10. When washing dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing
If your have a double-basin; fill one with soapy water and one with rinse water.
If you have a single-basin sink, gather washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a spray device or a pan full of hot water.
Dual-swivel aerators are available to make this easier. If using a dishwasher, there is usually no need to pre-rinse the dishes.
11. Washing of Cars
Use water buckets while cleaning your car instead of using direct horse pipe from the tap. This will minimize the amount of water used in car cleaning.
