Helpful Tips for Reducing Water Use

• Reduce the amount of water you use
• Repair leaks; a lot of water can leak away
• Retrofit wherever you can
• Replace water guzzling appliances and fixtures with water efficient devices

Tips for the Bathroom

Your toilet can be responsible for 90% of all leaks. To find if your toilet has a leak:

• Drop some food coloring in your toilet tank
• Wait
• If you see the color flowing into the toilet bowl, you have a leak
• It may be time to replace the flapper valve, or you may need to replace or adjust the handle

If your toilet is using more than 6 liters of water per flush, it may be time to replace it with a water efficient model.

Shower

• Take shorter showers
• Replace your shower head with an ultra low flow version

Taps

• Check all faucets
• A leaky faucet may simply need a new washer
• You can also install high-efficiency, low flow faucet aerators that are available at local hardware stores

Tips for the Kitchen

Easy things you can do to save water!

• Thawing food under the tap wastes water. Take food out of the freezer early to allow plenty of time to thaw in the fridge.
• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge instead of running the tap for cold water.
• Clean fruits and vegetables in a partially filled sink.
• Steaming vegetables uses less water while keeping more nutrients in the food.
• Run the dishwasher only when it is full and use the energy saver or shortest cycle.
• Do not let the tap run continuously when washing dishes by hand. Use the second side of the sink for rinse water.
• Turn taps off tightly, but gently so they do not drip.

Reminder

Never put garbage of any kind down the drain, including:

• Cooking fat and greases
• Paints and solvents
• Pesticides and other chemicals
• Toxic household cleaners