It's easy to save money by reducing your water consumption. Make a few simple plumbing changes around your house and you can save water and rescue your budget.
Install low flow plumbing fixtures, including low flow shower heads, sink faucets and toilet flush kits. Start in the bathroom that gets the most use and replace plumbing fixtures in all bathrooms as your budget permits.
Collect grey water from sinks or bathtubs to use in watering houseplants and gardens. This is easily accomplished by disconnecting plumbing pipes beneath your sink and carefully positioning a five gallon bucket directly beneath the sink drain. Another option is to simply collect dish or bathwater by dipping buckets or watering cans directly into the water basin.
Collect water run-off from your roof and gutters using a rain barrel positioned at each downspout. Rain barrels are available at many garden centers and hardware stores and come equipped with a garden hose spigot for easy watering.
Turn off all water in your house and check your water meter to see if it is still running. If so, you probably have a leak. Check for dampness under sinks, especially at coupling joints where kitchen sprayers are attached. Check for leaky toilets by placing a few drops of food coloring in the upper tank. If the color leaks into the toilet bowl within a half-hour, you are losing water and need to replace the flapper or possibly the entire toilet flush kit. It is also possible to have a leak in the pipes under your house, or in the water lines between your house and the street. Check during dry weather for dampness or standing water in either location.
Be sure to set a timer if your lawn sprinkler doesn't have automatic shut-off. Timers can also be useful to encourage children and teens to shorten their showers.
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